Star Wars: Shadows of The Night
by GlaciesTheNerd101
Summary: Nutmeg Glacies is the main character of this story. She's pretty much me. You may find her mentioned in other fanfics, but this story is devoted to mostly her. It takes place during the era of the New Republic. Let's get this strait. I do not own Star Wars. I wish I did but let's face it I don't. I do not own any of the names listed in my story. All I own is my story.
1. Prolauge

Prologue

Flocken ran, ran as fast as he could, the heat searing his skin. The smoke obscured all his senses. He could be running right into the warriors for all he knew. All he cared about was finding Clove and Nutmeg. They were all he had left.

Flocken felt bubbles of blistered skin already forming on his hands where the flames had first scorched. A shower of sparks crashed down from one of the ceiling beams, covering him and everything else. Each one felt like a fiery dagger raking across his back.

Through the veil of smoke, Flocken could make out a blue light. Clove! He thought. Using the force she leaped ten feet toward him just in time before a ceiling beam collapsed right where she had previously been standing. Flocken was relieved to see Nutmeg, though wailing, safely tucked underneath Clove's arm. She was wielding her brilliant ice blue lightsaber.

"Flocken, I want you to take Nutmeg while I hold off the troops." she said.

Clove handed him Nutmeg before he could say anything. "Alright! What are we waiting for!" He said to Clove.

"Flocken Octavius Juno, you get that look out of your eye!"

"Wha-"

"Don't pretend! You know that you're getting ready to blast the armor off their pathetic bodies! I'm the Jedi here!"

She knew him so well and it didn't help that she had the force. "You're not coming with me! You need to get out of here with Nutmeg while I get the troopers out of the way."

"How come you get the fun part?" asked Flocken almost jokingly to her.

Clove's beautiful, ice blue gaze softened. "Hey, you still get my favorite blaster!" She paused smirking, "Just in case".

"Yeah haha," he said smirking broadly. "Just in case!"

The two of them snuck silently down the ladder that led out of the attic. Flocken could hear the warriors talking in the living room. He almost felt jealous. At least they could breathe, without every gulp of air feeling like trying to swallow boiling fuel. A violent thought went through his head as he imagined abruptly ending that breathing with the swift blow of a blaster.

Clove made a hand signal that meant they needed to advance to the other side of the enemy. She quickly in three short jumps crossed to the other side of the house without the turn of a head. Sometimes Flocken even wondered if anyone could see. After all, it was an amazing leap.

Flocken wasn't quite as fast, though he was stealthy, so instead, silent as a star, he dodged behind anything that could conceal him from view. He quickly joined Clove, facing the backs of the troops.

He suddenly smelled the stench of burning leather, as his jacket, his beautiful, lucky jacket he had had since he was five years old, caught fire at the sleeve. Flocken, trying not to panic, quickly handed Clove Nutmeg, who, luckily for them had stopped crying, and put out the fire on his jacket. Looking relieved, he took Nutmeg back from a pissed off looking Clove.

A look of utter horror spread across Clove's face. At first, Flocken didn't see what was wrong, but then he saw Nutmeg. _Don't sneeze Nutmeg! Please don't sneeze!_ But It was too late. A particularly large sneeze erupted from Nutmeg.

"Hey! Over there!" called a particularly high ranking looking trooper. "Blast them!" All the warriors immediately started firing blasters in every direction.

"So much for stealth!" Flocken yelled.

He and Clove charged through the troops weapons extended, Nutmeg still tucked under Flocken's arm. They cleared the squadron with ease, but they both knew that that wouldn't be the only issue. Flocken and Clove may have gotten past the troops, but they also had to get out of their burning house. They rushed quickly over to the trap door that led out of the house.

"The ladder's been completely destroyed!" Clove said disdainfully.

Sure enough, Flocken looked down the trap door opening and saw at the bottom of the hundred foot tree, a heap of broken and scorched looking wood.

"Blastit! Why is it that just as everything's going fine, something needs to happen!?"

"Don't get your lightsaber in a knot!"Clove told him, smirking. "I-"

"Let me guess!" said Flocken cutting her off. "You have a brilliant plan to save us all!" he said mockingly.

"As per usual!" Clove responded gleefully.

"Alright. What've you got?" Flocken asked.

"I want you and Nutmeg to jump and I'll slow you down on impact with the force."

"I don't know about this Clove…"

She scowled at him. "What? Do you have a better plan or would you rather get cooked alive?!" she said giving him a look, that quite clearly said, _Grow yourself a backbone, will you!._

"Oh alright" he agreed reluctantly. "but only because I trust your judgment!"

Clove smirked that smirk he knew so well and said: "That's what I thought!"

Flocken slowly edged his way to the rim of the trap door opening, his feet dangling down into the cool, crisp air below. He was clutching Nutmeg tight in his arms.

"Alright now all you have to do is jump. I'll be right behind you but I need to get something out of our room first."

"Clove, I want you to understand that for someone who can't force jump, this really is quite terrifying. Maybe if you could just give me a little push, cause I don't kno-!"

Flocken suddenly received a large shove in his back side and he felt himself nearly have a heart attack as he fell forward. He heard Clove call from above,

"You're Welcome!"

Flocken felt the air rushing around him, the cool wind whipping him in the face, making his eyes tear up. Strangely enough, Nutmeg didn't seem to mind it. She even seemed to enjoy it a bit. As he was nearing the ground he felt himself slowly but surely losing momentum until he landed on the ground, with a soft thud.

His beautiful house that he and Clove had built themselves, he now saw the full extent of the damage to. The entire thing looked as if it would collapse at any moment. With a stab of cold hard fear, Flocken realized that Clove was still in there. She was getting whatever it was that she needed. _Come on Clove, come on!_ He had a bad feeling about this.

Suddenly a horrible creaking noise that seemed to shake the jungle to its roots, ripped through the air, as the large branch supporting his home splintered off the tree. It seemed to happen in slow motion, but yet it happened so quickly. He stared, horrified as flames and debris showered everything in sight. His house was a giant fireball falling through the air. Quite possibly he might have seen an ice blue light go out.

The next thing Flocken knew he was on the ground. He felt his arms still fastened against, he guessed, a sound asleep Nutmeg. His head was pounding like a drum. He tried to open his eyes, but they seemed to be sealed shut. He pried them open to see the first of dawn's light creeping up over the horizon, and yet somehow now it seemed different. It was not the usual warm glow that brought the morning, but an almost cold steely light.

At first, Flocken didn't know why he was on the ground. He couldn't remember. He didn't know why he was covered in ash, soot, and burns, why his head felt as if the SuperNova had crashed straight into it. He didn't know why he was surrounded by the remains of his home.

But then the memories of the previous night came flooding back. They filled him with an unexplainable fear, in which he knew somehow that something had happened, something awful, that something that would change his life forever had just taken place. Flocken had only ever felt this type of fear one other time in his life and it had shortly after resulted in the death of his beloved little sister. He didn't understand it. It was just there.

Clove! He needed to find Clove! Flocken sat bolt upright, sending waves of pain through his body. She needed to be alright! _What am I thinking?! He thought. Of course, she's alright! She's a Jedi!_ But then why was Flocken still filled with that feeling? That feeling that something would never be the same again? He tried to push it away, but the feeling wouldn't budge. The harder he tried to deny it, the more he knew that the feeling meant something, something horrible.

Flocken didn't have to look long before he spotted her. At first, she just seemed to be sleeping among the rubble as he had been, knocked out by some falling piece of debris, but the closer he got the more he saw. Each step he took, felt like another dagger piercing his heart. With each new step taken he could see another burn, another torn piece of flesh another splash of blood on Clove's olive green cloak.

Flocken collapsed down next to her, tears already soaking his cheeks. "Clove? Clove, come on we need to get out of here."

His entire body convulsed with pain, but not of the pain of his wounds, which he hardly even felt anymore, but the pain of his very heart and soul feeling as if it had been shredded.

"Clove?!" His body was racked with sobs "Clove?! Clove?! Please wake up!"

Flocken could have sworn for a moment her saw her head just barely move a millimeter, but it could easily have been in his, still pounding, head.

"Clove? Clove, please. Please, don't leave me. Not yet. Please. I need you. I need you more than anything else in the universe." Flocken's voice was at barely more than a whisper now. He prayed. He prayed with all of his slowly dying hope. Was he a fool for hoping?

Clove's eyelids fluttered open. "Flocken?" Her voice, her beautiful, soft, passionate voice, had been reduced now to nothing more than a shaky shattered rasp.

"Yes! Yes, I'm here! I'm right here!" He sobbed.

Clove smiled weakly up at him and a single tear ran down her face. Her beautiful face now covered with blood and soot. "Flocken I-"

"No Clove. Please don't talk. You need to save your strength Clove. Don't worry you're going to be fine. Everything's going to be alright." Flocken knew that he was trying to convince himself, as much as her.

She smiled weakly up at him again and took his hand. "I want you to change our daughter's name to Nutmeg Glacies to keep the family name going. I've been meaning to ask for awhile. It's been going back for centuries and I don't want it to die out with me. Please?"

Flocken felt his heart tearing at her words. "Clove- I-I- No! You're going to be alright! It's not going to die out with you! Not yet! Not yet!" he sobbed.

Flocken noticed something clasped in Clove's hand. Without taking her eyes off him she knew that he saw it and opened it. "It's what I needed to get," she explained. "I couldn't leave without it."

In the palm of her hand lay the locket that he had given her on their wedding day. Outside, it was a bronze flower with silver vines snaked around it. Inside the locket he knew was a picture of both of them standing together grinning broadly at the camera. A few more tears streamed out of his eyes at the sight.

"I want you to give it to Nutmeg when she's old enough. I won't need it anymore."

Flocken swallowed another sob. "Don't talk like that! You'll be there too! You'll be able to give it to her one day!"

Another tear streamed out of Clove's eye. "Flocken I think we both know that's not going to be possible."

"No!" he sobbed. "No, it's not too late!"

"Flocken I want you to know," Her breathing was becoming shallower. Every breath seemed to be coming as a struggle. "I know we say it all the time, but it's not as important as it is now. I need you to know that I-"

Clove never got to finish that sentence. Her last words never to be heard. Her shimmering ice blue gaze, abruptly went dull, her broken body, suddenly, limp. One last glittering tear streamed out of her unseeing eyes.

"No!" "NO!" " Clove, no please come back! Wake up! You need to wake up!" Flocken sobbed. His heart felt as if it had been blasted to a million pieces then chucked into a bottomless abyss. "I need you! I NEED YOU!"

Flocken collapsed onto her body. He sobbed into her cloak wet with blood. He cried. He cried as if every tear had a chance at bringing her back. He sobbed as if the pain that strangled his soul in it's cold embrace, would be released.

Slowly the ice that gripped him seemed to melt, replaced by a burning hot rage. It filled him up, made him feel like he could tear a person limb, from limb with his bare hands if he had the opportunity.

 _The Amaxines did this! No more spying!_ He was going to fight full on in this war. He would fight harder than any other soldier. Flocken would murder every last warrior if he could, slaughter them slowly! Make them suffer! Make them bleed until every drop of meaningless life dripped out of them! That's what he wanted to do! They deserved it! He would make them regret what they did!

Suddenly the pain of his loss came back overpowering his anger. A title wave of despair washed over him. _I'll never see her again_ he thought. _I'll never hear her soft voice in my ear. I'll never feel the warmth of her next to me, fighting by my side._ Both his rage and heartbreak combined suddenly and he couldn't hold it in anymore. _How can anyone be this cruel?! How can the universe be this cruel?!_ Abruptly Flocken's anger exploded out of him. He screamed. He screamed as if the whole galaxy could hear him.

"DO YOU HEAR ME! I'LL MAKE YOU PAY FOR FOR WHAT YOU DID! ILL- ILL KILL YOU! ALL OF YOU! YOU TOOK HER FROM ME! I'LL NEVER SEE HER AGAIN! YOU DID THIS! I LOVED HER! I LOVED HER!"


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

Nutmeg waited as patiently as she could for her father to come home. She was three years old. She didn't really seem to like her babysitter. She smelled of something that Nutmeg didn't know the name of at the time but now knew as mothballs. It had become a smell that she had always associated with her, she remembered.

"Ms. Jil?" Nutmeg said softly tapping on her arm. looked down at Nutmeg, awaiting the question. "Um, when will Daddy be back?"

"My dear," she began. "You must learn to be more patient. You asked me three minutes ago when your father would be home, and I told you, any minute now." Nutmeg looked disappointed.

"Okay." she said softly

Just then Nutmeg heard a noise that must have been the front door opening because a few seconds later her father walked in looking tired. "Daddy!" she squealed exuberantly. She latched herself onto his left leg because that was as high as she could reach. Her father lifted her up into the air and held Nutmeg against his side.

"Alright Jil here's the week's pay," he said in a strained kind of voice that Nutmeg didn't really seem to notice. He handed Jil a couple of credits. Jil without a word of goodbye walked out the front door and slammed it behind her.

Nutmeg's father put her down in the kitchen chair and sat down in the one next to it. "What did you do today Nutmeg?" he asked her, in a seemingly forced cheerful way, that Nutmeg didn't notice again.

"Well I drew a couple of pictures and then I watched TV!" she said energetically. "Sounds great." said her father who didn't seem to be paying attention.

"Hey, I'm not feeling all that great. Okay? Do you think you can manage for a little bit if I go upstairs and take a nap?"

"Okay!" she replied. Nutmeg's father slowly got out of his chair and made his way towards the staircase. He took one look at it and decided

"The couch will do."

Her father dragged himself towards the living room and collapsed down on the couch. He sat there for a few moments, looking incredibly exhausted, as if the walk from the kitchen to the living room, had stamped every last bit of energy from him.

Three-year-old Nutmeg at the time didn't know what was going on, but she did now because her father now lay there, eyes closed sweat pouring down his face and soaking into his hair. His breath was coming in fast short gasps.

Nutmeg saw that she at least knew something was happening because she then walked over to her father and asked softly "Daddy are you okay?" Her father didn't seem to hear her. "Daddy, are you sleeping?"

Nutmeg's father was most certainly unconscious but wasn't dead. The only sign that gave away he was still alive was the fact that his chest was still rising and falling with each breath and his right arm occasionally gave a strange twitch.

Nutmeg saw herself looking very worried at the sight. That was one of the only things she really remembered about this until now. The feeling that something was wrong.

Suddenly her father stopped moving completely. Nutmeg wasn't sure if he was dead. He looked dead, but she didn't think he was dead... at least not yet. Nutmeg painfully enough knew how this was going to end. She knew that her father didn't make it.

Nutmeg suddenly heard the sound of a tune she knew all too well and opened her eyes to see herself in her bed, her alarm clock buzzing.

It had all been a dream. Hadn't it? She knew that her father had died four years ago when she was three, but she had never found out how, but now that she thought about it did seem vaguely familiar. All she knew for sure was that she had been found the next day by Axle. Axle was a twenty-four year old Nautolan bounty hunter, with yellow skin and a decent amount of head tails each bound by a length of leather. He had adopted Nutmeg and taken her in as his own. When Axle had found her, Nutmeg's father had been found dead, without a clear cause, on the couch. In her dream, it seemed that her father had died of some sickness of some sort or something like that, but that was just a dream.

Nutmeg wondered about her parents a lot. What did they really look like? Who were they? Where was her mother after her father had died? These questions have popped into her head on more than one occasion. Nutmeg had tried to ask Axle, but he hadn't known either.

Still thinking about her parents, Nutmeg stumbled out of bed, to her feet. Nutmeg changed out of her nightshirt, into a pair of black and white striped leggings and a green dress with small pink flowers on it and a pink shirt underneath it. She grabbed a hairbrush and detangled her long-ish dirty blond hair and looked in the mirror to see her grey-blue-green eyes with a yellow ring around the pupil staring back at her. She walked out of her room and down to the kitchen. Axle was already cooking what smelled to be an omelet.

"Mornin' Axle!" Nutmeg said sitting down at the table.

"Take a guess as to who slept in." he said smirking.

"What?! I was having a dream!"

"It's fine kid relax!"

Nutmeg rolled her eyes at him. He was the one who had decided to point it out! Axle had told Nutmeg the night before that he had a job today, hired by a group of pirates to steal back this cargo freighter with a bunch of valuables on it. Nutmeg was going to be coming on this one. She was most of the time allowed to come on Axle's bounty hunter missions, but it really depended on the riskiness of it and even so she almost always just stayed on the Shadow, Axle's ship.

Axle dumped the omelet onto a plate, cut it in half and put the slightly bigger half on a plate in front of Nutmeg. It looked great, but knowing Axle's cooking it probably wasn't. Nutmeg dug into the omelet. It was pretty good, but the eggs were slightly overcooked and it needed some salt, so she reached for the salt shaker and gave the omelet a sprinkle.

"So, what's the plan for today?" she inquired eagerly.

"We're headed to this planet called Onderon," he replied. "Should be where this nerf-hurter went with the freighter.

"Axle you said a bad word."

Axle rolled his eyes "Sorry kid. Anyway finish up your breakfast we've got to get going "

Nutmeg shoveled the last few bites of her omelet into her mouth and got out of her seat. They both made their way towards the door, grabbed their coats and walked out into the snowy landscape. They were scheduled to get a two more feet of snow that night as opposed to the usual foot every week, because it was almost the middle of the Season of Wind and the weather was beginning to get slightly more severe, meaning the Season of Snow was nearing. Of course here on Southern Diversus, every season was the Season of Snow.

They both climbed onto the Shadow. Axle sat down in the pilot's chair and Nutmeg in the copilot's. They both took their jackets off and hung them up on the backs of their chairs.

Axle had been giving Nutmeg quick lessons about the different aspects of flying a ship whenever they went anywhere.

"Alright, kid pop quiz! What's this lever do?" said Axle pointing to a lever on the control panel in front of him.

"That's the hyperspace thingy! It makes the ship go really fast!" she replied enthusiastically, knowing the answer, of course.

"What about this?" he said pointing to button next to it.

"Oh-Oh I know this!" she squealed. "It's the button that turns on the ship!"

"And what do all these buttons do?" he said pointing to an array of switches and buttons.

"That's where you make the um- um, something- something to hyperspace." she said not remembering the right word for it.

"Calculations?"

"Yes! That was it! That's where you make the caltications to hyperspace!"

Axle paused. "Good enough." he decided. "You get an A, as always kid," said Axle messing up Nutmeg's neatly fixed hair.

"Hey!" she exclaimed.

She tried to fix it as best she could, but it still wasn't scowled at Axle. He always liked to mess up her hair and it annoyed the heck out of her. Axle smirked back.

"Hey, I'll make it up to you. Want to do the honors?"

"Yes!" she squealed, completely forgetting about her messed up hair.

Nutmeg reached for the button beside the hyperspace lever. She pushed it and all the little lights and gauges all over the control panel blinked to life. Nutmeg grinned broadly. Axle took off from the icy ground and soared through the atmosphere. The half blue and white, half green and blue planet of Diversus loomed out behind them. Axle began to make the calculations for hyperspace.

"Alright kid, go ahead." said Axle.

Nutmeg immediately reached for the lever and pushed it forward. The glittering stars imprinted against the inky black sky stretched out and soon enough the entire ship was surrounded in the shining bright light, that was hyperspace. Nutmeg had always loved the feel of hyperspace. She didn't know what it was about it. She just always had.

Axle and Nutmeg chatted for the rest of the trip to Onderon. Once they dropped out of hyperspace they landed a few miles away from the nearest city. The area they landed in had looked like maybe some sort of base from a really long time ago.

"Alright kid, this mission's pretty routine so you could always come if you-"

"Yes! I want to come! I want to come!" she said interrupting.

Nutmeg was rarely ever allowed to come on the actual mission! She usually always stayed behind and heard Axle's tales of adventure when he got back. Though all the stories sounded amazing, Nutmeg had a feeling that they were slightly exaggerated.

"I just thought that well you know you're getting a bit older and you might start thinking about what you'd like to do one day."

"I want to be a bounty hunter!" exclaimed Nutmeg proudly

"Well you've got a lot to learn," replied Axle, as a matter of factly.

"I'm going to learn it all!" she exclaimed.

"If you say so, kid." he replied.

Nutmeg and Axle walked off the Shadow, Axle with his blaster rifle and two blaster pistols and Nutmeg with a small blaster attached to her wrist that only stunned, but had really pretty bright purple bolts. Nutmeg had been given it for her sixth birthday last year and thought it fitting to bring it along.

The surrounding jungle was full of vibrantly colored plants and had the occasional bird flying overhead. It was very hot and humid, a pleasant change to the usual freezing cold of southern Diversus. Unfortunately, Nutmeg wasn't exactly dressed for the heat. The insides of her shirt and leggings were lined with fleece, cold resistant but, not exactly the most heat resistant material.

"Alright, so I've heard there are these creatures around here. They're supposed to be naturally tame and would provide some good transportation. We can't exactly land the Shadow on top of this freighter. Keep your eyes open."

"Okay." replied Nutmeg.

They both began looking around. Nutmeg didn't exactly know what to look for, any sign of life she supposed. It would have to be a big animal in order to carry two people, so it shouldn't be too hard to find, she imagined.

"Alright I think I've got something!" said Axle leading back one of the most bizarre creatures Nutmeg had ever seen.

It was huge, had bright orange and white skin, humungous wings and several bright blue eyes. The creature already had a saddle and reins. Though the creature seemed friendly, it was rather intimidating.

"This is a ruping." explained Axle. "They're a type of reptivan." he paused "Don't worry kid. He's friendly." he said comfortingly. Obviously, Nutmeg had let some of her apprehensiveness show.

"I'm not worried!" she insisted.

"If you say so, kid," he replied. "Let's go! Time is credits!" he said amused.

Axle climbed up onto the ruping and patted it on the head gently. Nutmeg attempted to do the same but quickly found herself slipping down the ruping's wing with a large thump. If Nutmeg didn't think her hair was messed up before she most certainly did now.

"Need a little help there, kid?" asked Axle smirking.

"No" she insisted, trying and failing again.

"You sure?" he asked, extending a hand.

"Yes," she said determinedly. Nutmeg tried yet again with no more success than before."Fine" she said disdainfully, taking his hand. She scrambled up the side of the ruping, with Axle's help and sat comfortably in front of Axle on the saddle.

Axle rolled his eyes. "Hold on tight, kid!" he said snapping the reins.

The ruping spread his great wings and soared through the air. The warm breeze ruffled Nutmeg's hair and a grin spread across her face. It was a wonderful feeling. She looked down to see the canopy of the jungle below, a blur of green, red and brown. Not a trace of the fear she felt remained. This is what flying felt like? Nutmeg closed her eyes and relished the feeling of flight. Sitting in the cock-pit of a ship was amazing, but this... This was indescribable.

A few unforgettable minutes later, Nutmeg felt a small thud come from underneath her. She opened her eyes to see the ruping alighted on the top of a large ship. Axle slid smoothly off the ruping's wing and started to walk along the roof of the freighter. Nutmeg before sliding off gingerly stroked the top of the ruping's head. She then, less smoothly than Axle, slid off the ruping.

Nutmeg quickly caught up with Axle. He gestured for her to stay quiet. Out of a bag on his belt, he took an interesting looking appliance. He flipped a switch and it extended two arms with razor sharp blades pointed downward. The center of it attached to the metal surface of the ship's hull. Axle gestured for Nutmeg to stand back. She did exactly that. Then Axle pressed a button on the top of the appliance and joined her a couple feet away.

The two arms began to rotate violently, without emitting a sound. They stopped a few seconds later and Axle walked over took the center in his hand, flipped the switch, causing the arms to retract, and pulled up on it bringing a perfect circle of the ship's hull with it. He pressed another button and it released the piece of metal. Axle put the appliance back in his bag.

He hoisted Nutmeg into the hole. It was dark and there was a strong draft coming from her left. Axle joined her a second later. He turned on a small flashlight attached to his wrist, illuminating the dark, cramped, vent.

Axle gestured for them to start moving right. They began crawling slowly but steadily down the vent. They were doing an okay job of keeping their steps quiet, lucky for them. They soon came across one of the vent openings leading down to what looked to be the cargo hold. They peered down to see three figures, two of them obviously having a heated conversation.

"Alright look that's just a little- Alright that's way too much for a few blasters!" came a voice from below them.

"Well look who else are you going to get them from? And plus I need the credits." came another voice.

"You don't seem to be that desperate or you'd sell some of this stuff on this stupid freighter of yours."

Axle nodded at Nutmeg, indicating that he was going to do something. He stomped open the vent, launched himself out, landed heel down on one of the figure's shoulder blades, pulled out one of his blaster pistols and shot him straight in the back.

"Well that was easy!" he exclaimed, getting off the body

"What in the universe are you doing?!" shouted the other figure. "I was trying to make a deal with him!"

"That really stinks for you then doesn't it," said Axle smirking. "I just hate it when the guy I'm trying to make a deal with abruptly gets shot! You know that?!"

"Axle?" asked Nutmeg figuring that it was okay to talk now "Can I come down?"

"Sure thing, kid," replied Axle

How she was going to get down, Nutmeg had no idea. She scooted down to the edge of the vent and fell, more than jumped out.

She looked down at the dead body. Axle had described what a dead person looked like before, but he had said they were really gory. This wasn't nearly as bad as he had described.

The person who was yelling at Axle had brown hair, was wearing a silver shirt and black pants, and he had blue-green eyes. He was looking slightly perplexed at Nutmeg. She guessed it was because she was with Axle. Axle had told her that most bounty hunters didn't travel with companions and especially not kids. She had asked why, but he had told her that was just how a lot of them were.

Nutmeg looked at the third figure. She was a young girl, that looked to be about Nutmeg's age. She had brown hair, was wearing a purple shirt and a pair of jeans, and had hazel eyes.

"Hi," said the girl.

"Hi" she replied. "I'm Nutmeg," she said introducing herself.

"I'm Robin," She replied.

"Alright guys, why don't you two chat in the other room while we try to negotiate." said the person.

"Okay," said Robin. They both walked into the room neighboring the storage compartment"

"What's your second name?" she asked

"Starstorm." replied Robin "What's yours?"

"Oh, I'm not allowed to tell anyone that."

It was true. Axle has always told Nutmeg never to tell anyone her last name under any circumstance. He said it was really important, but he had never told her why. What was such big deal about the last name Glacies?

"Oh okay." replied Robin.

"So what planet are you from?" asked Nutmeg.

"Ryloth," she replied. Robin didn't look like a twi'lek to Nutmeg. Ryloth was the twi'lek planet, right? Nutmeg thought to herself

"Cool, well I'm from Diversus," she said.

"Where's that?" asked Robin

"It's over in the Western Reaches," Nutmeg answered.

"Oh."

"So why does your friend want all those blasters?"

"He's a smuggler and so am I!" boasted Robin.

"Well I'm going to be a bounty hunter!" she retorted. "One day." Nutmeg added.

"I'm only an apprentice right now but-"

"Heya, kid! Come on let's go!" said Axle cutting Robin off. "We've earned our self a few extra credits!" he called over from the other room. .He sounded as if he were in a good mood.

"Coming!" she called back."I have to go." she told Robin.

"Okay," she replied. "Bye."

"Bye." Nutmeg returned.

She was disappointed to have to go so soon. It was nice meeting another kid for a change as opposed to the usual. The usual were Axle's bounty hunter friends and the occasional prisoner. The local Divercions weren't uncommon either, but that was really all. _Oh well…_ she thought.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Axle!" Nutmeg exclaimed. "Get out! You got to fly on the way back from Mandalore!" Axle had sat directly in the pilot's chair. Meanwhile, it was Nutmeg's turn to fly.

"Oh come on. It's my ship," he replied

"Not how it works. Move," she said crossing her arms and glaring at him.

"Okay, okay fine," he said moving to the co-pilot's chair.

Nutmeg swiftly moved to the seat to his left. She turned on the ship and took off rather shakily, but still successfully. She heard her and Axle's many suitcases with their belongings roll across the cockpit. Axle gave her a bit of a look, that she had easily taken as him being slightly pissed at her poor flying.

She had just begun starting to actually fly herself a few weeks ago and Axle had said she was doing good for her first few tries, but definitely still needed some work. Nutmeg had finally mastered making calculations to into hyperspace about two rotations ago, except this time they weren't going into hyperspace. They were heading to the other side of the planet.

The Season of Rain had just finally ended into the, still freezing, Season of Heat on Southern Diversus. However, neither of them would be there to experience it. They were headed north to their summer home in Northern Diversus, where it was warm, even hot in the Season of Heat. They headed there every year as a sort of vacation. Axle rarely took jobs during the warm months. They spent most of their time doing fun things. Not that bounty hunter missions weren't fun, but that this type of fun was just a bit more leisurely.

Nutmeg put the ship down still rather bumpily in a clearing a few miles from their house. They would have landed closer, but around the area, it was all forest and rocky slopes without any flat surface for the Shadow to fit, and this was the only place to land.

"Wow." breathed Nutmeg, stepping off of the Shadow.

Every time they got there, no matter how many times she arrived, it always took her breath away. All around her trees stretched their branches upward and all around, brushing the sky and intertwining with each other. Vines of ivy were twirled around their rough trunks.

The sky was bright blue, with only a few white clouds streaked across it. The sun was beaming down on them warming Nutmeg's skin. The heat was intense, but not in the least unpleasant. It was welcoming if anything.

"Hey, kid come on! Help me get this speeder out of the back will you!" called Axle from the Shadow.

"Coming!" she called back.

They both hauled the old and weathered speeder out of the cargo hold on the Shadow. It was still working smoothly despite its old age. Okay, she admitted to herself. It was barely functioning as she knew, but either way, they both climbed on and zoomed off towards some of the higher rock ledges, where their house was settled.

The tall house was built on top of a rocky hill jutting out from the ground. It looked unstable, but as many visitors, aka contacts and smugglers, had been assured it was perfectly sturdy. It was the only place that had provided a relatively okay area to build a house that wasn't too close to civilization. Civilization was a place that couldn't be too close to any sort of home base for them because Axle wasn't exactly on a very good page with the Pikes, Red Claws, Black Sun, Amaxines, quite a few pirate gangs or just about anyone else for that matter.

The Amaxines were a small organization that was growing quickly. It had risen up from the remains of the Empire a few years back, which had supposedly been brought to its knees before Nutmeg was born, but Axle had told her that the They were threat in Axle's opinion to the New Republic, the major government that ruled the galaxy. The New Republic wasn't a dictatorship, or corrupt and its goal wasn't to take over everything. And even though Diversus wasn't an occupied planet by any of the people that were after Axle, there were still probably sympathizers that wouldn't mind getting a nice reward for Axle's head.

Nutmeg burst through the front door. The early evening light streamed through the purple drapes hanging down from the living room windows. It seemed so long since she had been here. I felt like a century, even though she knew it had only been a year. She climbed up the ladder that led up to the next level of her house. She ran past Axle's room and up the stairs that led into her own.

Nutmeg's room had many different patterned wall papers covering her walls with colors that ranged from deep blue and bronze to silver and emerald green. The contrast was quite pretty against the wood and carpet floor. Her book shelves were filled with all of her favorite books, but there were, even more, books downstairs in the study.

"Nutmeg! Are you going to help me with any of these?!"

"Sorry, Axle!" She had forgotten to help him get their suit cases up the ladder.

Nutmeg walked back down the stairs and looked down the trap door opening to see Axle down below looking slightly pissed off. She climbed down the ladder and looked sheepishly up at Axle.

"Sorry." she said.

"Don't worry about it kid," he said messing up her hair for the third time that scowled up at him. He grinned back.

"Come on," he said grabbing one of the suit cases and shoving it forcefully up the trap door and pushing it to the side. He then climbed up the ladder himself.

Just then a wooden box fell out of the pocket in Axle's jacket. It didn't look as if he noticed. Nutmeg picked it up and took a close look at it. It was small, ornate and had a dark brown color. On the lid, it had a carving of some strange cylindrical object. At one of the ends, a beam was protruding. It was made of some sort of ice blue metal embedded into the wood. A small gold latch held the box closed.

Nutmeg couldn't explain it, but she felt strangely tied to this object. She didn't know how or why, but she felt a strange sense of importance that surrounded it. She traced the pattern with her finger. It looked hand carved, but it was still of great quality. She lifted the latch open.

"Where the hell did you find that!?" came Axle's voice from behind her. Nutmeg jumped a foot in the air. "Did you open it?!" he insisted.

Nutmeg didn't think she'd ever seen him so stressed. Axle was always so easy going and nonchalant. What could possibly be in that box that could be so serious?

"N-no!" she stuttered, still startled at Axle's odd behavior. "It- it fell out of your pocket when you went upstairs. I'm sorry. I didn't realize that it was dangerous."

It had to have been dangerous in order to get Axle so freaked out.

Axle calmed down. "Hey it's alright, kid," he said taking the box. Nutmeg's eye's followed it and he put it back in his pocket. She tried to look at Axle's face, but she couldn't pry her eyes off of his pocket. "Come on let's get the rest of these suitcases," he said obviously trying to change the subject. Nutmeg nodded in response. They both lifted the other three cases up the trap door within five minutes.

Axle began leaving towards his room. Nutmeg's eyes still followed his pocket. She felt that sense that she felt when she knew something had been left behind, except it wasn't that she was forgetting something it was that something was being drawn farther and farther from her and the feeling was much more powerful.

Why did she feel like she needed what ever was in there so badly? It was just a stupid box. Was it Axle's strangeness what made her so curious? No, it wasn't, she knew. It was something else, but what? Why did she feel such a connection and how did she feel such a connection in the first place? This was weird. Nutmeg would say that she'd never felt anything like this before except she didn't think that was true. She couldn't recall a specific case in which she had, but she knew it had happened at least once before.

"Hey, Axle?" she said walking after him.

"Yeah?"

"So, what was in that box anyway?" she said casually.

"Kid," he said warningly

"I mean after all it seems pretty serious and I'm just kinda curious about it."

"Kid."

"Was it dangerous or something because if so I-"

"Nutmeg!" said Axle looking more serious than Nutmeg had ever seen him.

"Yes?" she replied.

"Just forget about the box," he said looking her square in the eye. "I mean it."

"But-"

"Just forget about it."

"But I really want to know! I just have this weird feeling that it-"

"KID, I'M DEAD SERIOUS! FORGET ABOUT THE FUCKING BOX!"

Now that scared her. Nutmeg had never once in her entire life heard Axle yell, especially at her and that made her scared, not scared of Axle of course, but instead of what could possibly drive him to go further than he ever had before. Even in the worst of situations he always kept a cool head. Was knowing really worth it? She asked herself. Yes, it is. Came a voice. It sounded as if it came from everywhere, but it must have just been in her head because Axle didn't react to it. It was just her conscience. She told herself.

Axle walked off to his room, looking slightly guilty about something. Maybe about the fact that he had yelled, but somehow Nutmeg knew that it was about something else.

Nutmeg tried to do what Axle had told her and just forget about it, but she just couldn't. Every few seconds new theories drifted into her mind about what it could have possibly been or why Axle felt so strongly about keeping it secret. She just didn't understand why knowing could have such a big impact.

A thought crept into Nutmeg's mind. I could always just go and have a look for myself. After all, he's not bound to keep it with him at all times. Nutmeg pushed the thought away. It was a bad idea. She'd just have to get over her curiosity. It wasn't that big of a deal to have one secret kept from you. She told herself.

Nutmeg couldn't shake the nagging curiosity for the entirety of the next week, but after that, she had managed to convince herself that it wasn't important and within the blink of an eye, an entire month and a half had passed without even a trace of a thought about that stupid box. And before she knew it her eighth birthday was rolling around the corner.

Nutmeg lay awake in bed awaiting her alarm clock to blink to midnight. The red numbers changed to 12:00. It was officially July twentieth, her birthday. Nutmeg didn't feel any older, but she knew that she was. She wondered what gifts she would get once morning came. She was hoping to get something exciting. Maybe a good craft project to keep her occupied or a new computer system to replace the old broken one, although that would be more for Axle than Nutmeg.

She day dreamed about what she could possibly be getting for she didn't know how long but she decided that she may as well get some sleep so that the morning came faster. She tucked herself in, turned off her night light and closed her eyes.

Nutmeg opened her eyes. In her mind, two images remained of the dream she had experienced last night. The images were of a strange cylindrical object and a flash of bright ice blue light. She felt like she had seen it before somewhere, but she couldn't put her finger on it. She supposed the dream must have been a sad one because there was a large wet spot on her pillow, which she guessed to be tears, either that or she had just drooled a lot that night.

She thought more about where she had seen the object in her dream as she walked down the stairs and climbed down the ladder. Nutmeg knew what was waiting for her down in the kitchen so she found it hard to concentrate. Although Axle still called it a "surprise" she knew perfectly well that there was a cake and at least a couple presents waiting for her in the kitchen.

She walked in through the door and was greeted by the sight of one of the tallest chocolate cakes she had ever seen, eight balloons, and three stacked presents. The cake looked delicious! Nutmeg didn't see Axle anywhere. She wondered where he could be. Maybe he was getting her more presents!...or he was just asleep.

It took all of Nutmeg's self-restraint not to eat all of her cake and rip open her presents when no one was watching. Axle would probably be really pissed off at her if she did. Nutmeg gave the smallest box covered in blue wrapping paper a shake. It didn't make any noise which meant it was only one piece and took up all the space in the box. She gently shook the second box with orange wrapping paper and it made a series of rattling noises. The third box looked way too big for Nutmeg to pick up. It took up most of the table.

That moment the front door opened and three people walked in. Nutmeg recognized all of them. Axle and two of his friends were smiling broadly down at her. One of them's name was Mopar. He was a Diversion, meaning he had paperwhite skin with black facial markings, white hair and lavender eyes. His partner's name was Lepor and she was a human like Nutmeg, but she was from Naboo and had short dark brown hair blue eyes and a sly grin. They were both wearing a various array of bounty hunter armor.

"Heya kid! What's up?" asked Lepor

"Yeah, Happy Birthday!" exclaimed Mopar.

"Thanks!" replied Nutmeg. "Not much. I just woke up," she told Lepor.

"Sounds fun," she said. "Hey Mopar, you remember sleep? Good times eh?. Good times."

Mopar sighed. "Ah yes sleep." he mused. "When was the last time we got some?"

"No clue," Lepor replied smirking. Nutmeg wasn't sure if they were joking or not.

"Alright, guys, cake or presents first?" Axle asked.

"Cake!" Lepor and Mopar both respond simultaneously. They both did look as if they needed a good meal.

"Hmm. I dunno you guys. You seem awfully indecisive," Axle joked. Lepor rolled her eyes in response.

They all settled down at the kitchen table. The table was rather small and wasn't really made to seat four people, but they all squeezed in next to each other and Nutmeg did notice that Mopar and Lepor were sitting especially close. Although it might have just been her imagination Nutmeg thought that they looked like more than really good friends.

The candles on the cake were soon lit and everyone sang the happy birthday song. At the end, Nutmeg blew out all eight of the bright green candles on the cake.

"Make a wish," Axle told her.

A wish? Nutmeg had forgotten all about the wish that she had to make. What did she want? She wasn't really sure. Then she realized what she wanted.

"Okay. I wish for-"

"No no no shhh! You can't tell us," Axle told her. "otherwise the wish won't come true."

"Oh. Okay," she replied.

Nutmeg, if she hadn't been interrupted would have wished for a friend. Sure Axle was her friend and so were Lepor and Mopar an all of Axle's other friends and contacts, but what she really wanted was another kid her age to interact with.

"Let's eat some of this cake!" Mopar said eagerly.

Axle cut into the warm chocolate cake. Steam wafted into the air as Axle's pocket knife cut through the surface. It looked absolutely delicious. Nutmeg felt her mouth water at the sight. She looked at Mopar and Lepor and they were practically drooling. Soon enough all four of them had dug into the cake and were enjoying every last bite.

"This is amazing!" Lepor exclaimed her mouth full. "Which means you couldn't possibly have made it Axle!" Mopar snorted out of amusement in response.

"Come on I'm not that bad of a cook!" he replied incredulously.

"You remember that time you tried to cook for Malene." said Lepor "Food poisoning."

"Okay one" began Axle. "I did that on purpose, two she was a pirate and three I've gotten much better at cooking sense then."

"Right. 'On purpose'," she said sarcastically. "You were supposed to be spying and you fricking gave her food poisoning, trying to cook chicken. You lost us thirty thousand credits!"

Axle looked innocent. "Well- I-I- Oh whatever," he grumbled.

"That's what I thought," said Lepor smirking superiorly. Mopar chuckled. "Anyway let's get to presents." She said

"Right then. Let's go get ours from the ship," said Mopar. They both walked out to their ship. Axle seemed to find something rather funny. He was smirking broadly to himself.

"What?" asked Nutmeg.

Axle smirked. "Well you're probably a little young to know about this kind of thing, but they're just so obviously crushing on each other. It's hilarious!"

"Crushing?" asked Nutmeg.

"Yeah. What I mean is they really like each other."

"Ohhhh I get it!" she exclaimed.

"Alright, but don't tell them I told you that, okay?" said Axle winking.

"Okay," whispered Nutmeg. Axle shook his head and laughed.

Shortly later Lepor and Mopar each returned with a largish box covered in purple wrapping paper. They set them down on the table. Nutmeg didn't know which one to start with. There were so many.

"Which one first?" she asked.

"Mine!" said Lepor and Mopar simultaneously. "Alright fine his/hers," they said in unison again. "Quit it! I mean it!" they continued. They were both silent for a moment, Lepor going slightly red and the equivalent of just a bit pink for Mopar.

"How about Lepor's," suggested Axle.

Nutmeg tore open the purple wrapping paper revealing the cardboard box underneath. She carefully opened the box by its side to reveal another box. She pulled out that box, a little bit frustrated. Nutmeg opened that box to reveal yet another box and another and another. By the time she had opened all of them she was left with seven boxes and a pile of credits. Nutmeg looked up at Lepor thoroughly pissed off about the pile of boxes. Lepor grinned back.

"Thought it might be a bit funny," she told her. "Come on kid get a sense of humor!" Nutmeg supposed maybe it was a little funny. "I wasn't quite sure what to get you so I just went with some credits so that you can get whatever you want." she continued.

"How much is it?" Nutmeg asked.

"Couple hundred," Lepor replied.

"Couple hundred?" said Nutmeg her mouth gaping. She had never had so much money at once before. Axle got tons of money, but that was his and he was an adult so he was bound to have a lot of money. Nutmeg got a small allowance, but she always spent that at the ready and never hung on to it long enough to save any up.

"Yeah I know I went a little light but I could always-" Lepor continued.

"No-no." Nutmeg said. "This is so much!" Lepor rolled her eyes.

"Alright my present next!" exclaimed Mopar sliding the purple box towards her.

"Actually," interrupted Axle. "Why don't we save this one for later."

"Got it." replied Mopar.

They all exchanged a knowing glance. Nutmeg felt like the person in a group that was the only one that didn't know something. That was because she knew she was. Hopefully, she would find out soon.

"Let's go with this one," said Axle sliding the smallest box towards her.

Nutmeg with earnest, peeled back the blue wrapping paper to reveal a small cardboard box. She took the lid off, uncovering a device of some sort.

"See this is a tablet," Axle told her. "You've seen mine before right?" he asked. "Well, now you've got one of your own. You can take pictures, play games and access the holonet, all that good stuff. If you want I can even show you how to email and text me.

"Wow!" Nutmeg exclaimed.

"Next up!" said Axle sliding over the box with orange wrapping paper.

Nutmeg tore open this box as well to reveal several stuffed animal like toys, some that made squeaking noises and a bunch of dog treats.

"What?" she asked Axle. "Is this a joke?" she asked him slightly amused.

"You'll see," said Axle. "Last one!"

Nutmeg walked over to the largest package. She peeled back the green wrapping paper to reveal a plastic surface. The entire thing suddenly made a rustling noise, causing her to jump back a couple feet. She stepped back towards the box and continued to rip back the paper. When she was done there was a plastic cage. Axle smiled and opened up the door.

Immediately a grey-green creature jumped out, a spiny tail wagging and a long tongue lolling out of its crocodile like mouth.

"This is a massiff," Axle told her. "I found him back a couple days ago on Tatooine. He was stranded in the middle of the desert half starved and completely dehydrated. Poor guy. So I took him back to the Shadow got some food and water in him and he's as good as new now!

"Axle" began Mopar. "You know you got him more for yourself than for Nutmeg. You've been talking about getting a massiff for awhile now!" Axle ignored Mopar's comment.

"His name's Cavern." said Axle grinning broadly.

Cavern was presently sniffing about the house his spined tail still wagging vigorously. He climbed up on top of the couch, jumped down and jumped up again. He seemed rather excited. Nutmeg was probably twice as excited as Cavern. She was so happy she had no idea what to say.

"I love him!" was all she could think of.

Nutmeg grabbed one of the toys off the table and squeezed it so it made a squeaking noise. Cavern ran over and tore it out of her hand, missing her fingers by millimeters. He grasped it in his mouth, tail still wagging. Nutmeg laughed.

"Alright, kid. What do you want to do now?" Axle asked.

"There's still one more present." Nutmeg told him.

"Let's save that one for later."

"Okay?" she said questioningly. Why was Axle acting so weird? He obviously knew what the gift was, but why wait?

"Why don't we go outside." Nutmeg suggested.

"Let's do it!" he replied

Nutmeg, Axle, Lepor, and Mopar all made their way outside. They hiked in the woods for about an hour before Lepor and Mopar had to leave. They were on their way to capture some Weequay pirates for this Togruta named Moko. They said they would get a decent amount of credits for them if they delivered them alive.

After Axle and Nutmeg were back inside they sat down for some lunch. Axle had picked up sandwiches from a shop in the nearest town the previous day and he was currently dishing them out onto plates.

"So. Nutmeg," he said looking awkward.

"So." she said in response.

"I actually have one more gift for you." he told her.

"Really?" she said excitedly.

"Yeah," he said taking a small package wrapped in silver and bronze wrapping paper out of his jacket pocket. He scratched the back of his neck nervously, handing it to her.

Nutmeg took the package eagerly and peeled back the pretty wrapping paper to reveal… It was made of dark colored wood, was ornate and had a carving of a cylindrical shaped object carved on the lid. It was the box.


	4. Chapter 3

Nutmeg looked down at the wooden box in her hand. Why would Axle change his mind and give it to her now? What was going on?! This was weird.

"Look kid I know," said Axle. "You'll see why though. Okay?"

"Okay," Nutmeg said suspiciously. She wasn't even sure she wanted to know what all of it was about at this point. She carefully lifted the golden latch off the wooden lid.

"You know what." said Axle. "Before you open it why don't I tell you first" _Tell me what?_ Nutmeg thought. "Here it goes."Axle began. "When I found you in your old house on Corellia, I found this in your father's room. You remember when you used to ask me all sorts of stuff about your parents right?"

"Yeah," Nutmeg replied.

"Well their names were Clove Glacies and Flocken Juno. The last name Glacies is a very well known one, which is why I told you to never tell anyone it.

"Why was it well known?" Nutmeg asked.

"Well, during the Clone Wars there was a very famous person that went by Glacies. His name was Ignifer Glacies, your great grandfather."

"Why was he so famous?" asked Nutmeg half intrigued, half furious at Axle for keeping all this from her for so long.

"Well," said Axle. "He was what they called a Jedi."

"A Jedi?" asked Nutmeg earnestly.

"Yeah a Jedi," Axle replied. "The Jedi were the protectors of the galaxy at one point. That was during the time of the old Republic, but then the Empire came in its place. Then it destroyed whatever got in its way, the Jedi, the peace, the freedom, everything." said Axle bitterly. "Your mother was a Jedi, just like her father and her grandfather."

"But what makes the Jedi so special?" asked Nutmeg.

"Well, they were able to manipulate and use something called the Force."

"The Force?" At the mention of this thing called the Force Nutmeg felt something stir deep within her. She didn't know what it was, but she knew that she was somehow linked to this so called "Force"

"Alright kid I'm no Jedi, but I'll try to explain it as best I can. The Force is like a sort of great big energy field. We're all part of it, as well as everything else in the universe. It connects us all together." Axle told her. "Force users have the ability to, as the name suggests, use the Force. They can use it to heighten their senses, feel things, predict what's going to happen before it does, and even move things with their mind."

"Wow," gasped Nutmeg.

"Alright now that I've told you that much go ahead." he said.

Nutmeg opened the box to reveal nothing grand or extravagant or even remotely unusual. All that lay there was a crumpled piece of paper, a necklace and what looked to be a blue piece of quartz.

"That's it!" Nutmeg exclaimed incredulously.

"Take a closer look, will you kid before you get all upset."

Nutmeg looked back at the contents of the box and picked up the piece of paper and unfolded it. It had to have been years old. On the paper, there were several hand written paragraphs and she began to read.

Dear my beloved Clove,

It's been almost a year and a half since you've died. There's not a day that goes by, that I don't miss you. I'm writing this letter because I thought it might make me feel better. I don't see how though because you'll never read it and I won't see your reaction to it, but here it goes.

I love you. My heart aches constantly. It never fully healed and I know it never will.

Nutmeg's doing well. She said her first word a couple of weeks ago. It was "fly". She's going to be a little pilot one day, just like her mom. I know it.

I just wished I could have saved you. I'm so sorry I couldn't. I would give up anything to undo what happened that night. We could have raised our daughter here on Corellia together. I changed her last name to yours just like you asked. Personally, I like Nutmeg Juno Glacies better than Nutmeg Rose Juno. I'm planning to give the locket to her for her ninth, maybe tenth birthday when she'll understand what it's worth. When she'll understand that you died in the fire because you needed to go back and get it.

I have your kyber crystal. Your lightsaber didn't make it, but I kept the crystal. I think Nutmeg's going to be just like you. What I mean is, I think she's going to be a force user, maybe even a Jedi one day. I just have that feeling and I know you know exactly what I mean.

I hope where you are it's not too boring without me. I look forward to the day when I see you again. I've done so much against the Amaxines so far. I hope that's what you would've wanted. I love you so much. I hope you knew how much I did back when you were alive. We said it all the time, but I don't know if you knew just how much I really did.

Anyway this didn't really make me feel all that better, but at least I was able to share it with someone, even if it was only a piece of paper. I miss you.

With all the love in the universe, Flocken.

Nutmeg looked back at Axle fury unleashed. "You knew! You knew all of this, this entire time and you never told me! Even with all the questions I asked that I was dying to know the answer to! You never told me!" she spat. "Who were they? You knew! What happened to them? You knew! You knew even more than that and you still never told me!"

"Look, kid. You need to understand why. Any Jedi or Force user would be immediately killed by the old supporters of the Empire. Anyone related to one would be too. I couldn't risk that! I knew what responsibility I was taking on when I decided to raise a Jedi's daughter. When I decided to raise a Force user. You know Mopar and Lepor still think I'm crazy to take you in." Axle said quietly. "Not just because I took in a Force user, but a kid at all, someone I have to look after all the time, someone who depends on me and who I depend on. I've told you that almost all bounty hunters only care about two things: their money and themselves. All my friends see you as a mistake I can't get rid of, but I don't. I see you as the daughter I never had, Nutmeg. And I don't care what anyone else thinks about me or you, and you shouldn't either."

Nutmeg for the first time thought she saw the not so easy going and humorous side of Axle. Sure she had seen him furious when she first saw the box and that was pretty surprising but this was nothing like that at all. He wasn't angry or freaked out or anything like that. He was showing his warmer, more loving and caring side, one that Nutmeg always knew he had but had just never been revealed to her or anyone else for that matter.

She felt herself calming down. Axle had just been trying to do what he had felt best and she knew that. She couldn't blame him for just trying to protect her.

"Please kid I know you're mad at me and you have every right to be, but just try to understand where I'm coming from." he said.

"I understand." Nutmeg said truthfully. Then the realization hit her. _I could be a Force user_. "Wait, Axle you said that I was a-a Force user. That can't be right. I've never done anything like you said the Jedi could do or anything like that!"

"Well moving things with your mind takes a lot of practice, or at least so I've heard. But think about it. I've picked up on more than a few things that indicate it. Remember when you first found this? Why do you think you were so curious about what was in here? All you could see was an old box, nothing special?" inquired Axle.

Nutmeg reached her memory back to the moment in which she had found the box. "I don't know why I was so curious about what was in here. I just felt a sort of weird connection…" she said trailing off. Axle had said that the Jedi could 'feel things'. Maybe that was what he meant, but no that still couldn't be right and either way even in the note it was only a guess! He hadn't known for sure anyway! Nutmeg tried to think of some other question she could ask in order to change the subject. "What are lightsabers?" she asked. They had been mentioned in the note along with something called a kyber crystal.

"This is a lightsaber," said Axle gesturing to the carving on the lid of the box. "It's basically a laser sword and is's powered by what's called a kyber crystal. It was a weapon used exclusively by the Jedi," He paused. "and the Sith." he said darkly.

"The Sith?" asked Nutmeg, intrigued.

"They're like the Jedi except they thrive off of darkness."

"Oh." replied Nutmeg, automatically not liking the Sith.

"The Sith have destroyed almost all of what's left of the Jedi. There used to be thousands of Jedi, but not anymore. The Empire and the Sith have all made sure of that much." The only known Jedi alive today is someone named Luke Skywalker."

Nutmeg had heard of Luke Skywalker before on multiple occasions. He had been the one who had supposedly brought down the Empire, but she had never known he had been a Jedi, then again she hadn't even known what a Jedi was about five minutes ago.

"Anyway," said Axle grabbing Mopar's gift from the table. "I had to pay Mopar a hefty sum of credits to get him to scrounge up all this stuff for me, so technically the gift is from who paid for it."

Nutmeg peeled back more wrapping paper, opened the box and peered inside. Inside lay a few different books.

"These are books about the Clone Wars. The only difference between these and the ones that are… legal is that these are from the point of view of the Jedi. This one here is actually the journal of a Jedi padawan named Elis," he said gesturing to a small leather bound book. "She was a Pantoran female and she wrote all about her adventures during the Clone Wars in there. I haven't read the whole thing but was hoping you might learn a few things from her" said Axle.

"Wow!" said Nutmeg.

"Well I, of course, have told you a bit about the Clone Wars before, but these will go much more in depth than I really can. I wasn't exactly there. I'm not that old, am I?"

It was true that she knew only a bit about the Clone Wars. What Nutmeg currently knew about it was that it was a war, obviously and that it was a fight between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems or the Separatists. Also that the Republic fought with soldiers known as clone troopers and the Separatists with battle droids. That was about all she knew.

"Anyway, kid why don't you move on the the next thing in the box."

Nutmeg looked back over to the box and pulled out the necklace. It had a bewitching bronze flower on the front with intricate silver vines snaked around it and a bronze chain. It was beautiful. Now that Nutmeg got a closer look at it, she noticed the two small hinges on the left side. She saw how to open up the locket by pressing a small button on the back with her fingernail.

Nutmeg opened the locket. Inside it was a printed picture of a tall man with longish black hair and a handsome face, full of laughter and joy. He had blue-green eyes, not unlike Nutmeg's own blue-grey-green eyes. Next to him was an only slightly shorter, very pretty woman with waist length wavy, light brown hair, only a shade darker than Nutmeg's own dirty blonde hair. It was all tucked onto one shoulder. She had brilliant ice blue eyes filled with mischief and she had a clever grin etched upon her face. The woman was wearing a tan shirt with red stars on it, an olive green cloak over it and black pants. The man was wearing a black leather jacket with a white shirt underneath and a pair of jeans. Each outfit seemed to suit both of them very well.

Nutmeg didn't know how she knew it, but somehow she did. These were her parents. It might have been because her mother looked a bit like her or it might have been because she had similar eye color to her father, or maybe even because they both seemed painfully familiar to her, but she knew that wasn't it. _Could this be one of those force feelings?_ Nutmeg asked herself. _No, it was never even guaranteed that I'm a force user at all. I shouldn't even think about getting my hopes up_ , Nutmeg told herself.

"You don't need to think about getting your hopes up. The answer's already clear," came a voice.

She felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. Based on what she knew it wasn't a good sign to start hearing voices out of nowhere. To make things worse Nutmeg for a second could have sworn she saw a figure sitting on the kitchen table, her legs crossed. Nutmeg rubbed her eyes and when she opened them the woman was gone. Nutmeg was going crazy, wasn't she?! She pushed away any trace of those thoughts or at least she tried.

Nutmeg closed the locket gingerly and she saw something on the back she hadn't before, printed in cursive letters. It said, Clove, Flocken, Glacies. Juno. That's how she knew it was her parents! Not because she had 'sensed' it, but because she must have seen the writing and just not known it then remembered what it had said when she saw the picture. At least that made more sense than Nutmeg somehow 'sensing' it through the force.

She ran her finger one last time around the intricate design of the locket, then put it around her neck and let it hang down on her chest.

"Well?" asked Axle

"Their my parents," Nutmeg told him.

"Yeah."

"Where did you get this?" She asked.

"When I first found you the box was in your father's room with the note and the locket inside. I was about to leave when it caught my eye," Axle explained. "He was planning to give you the locket anyway so I thought I'd give it to you around the same time he was."

Nutmeg nodded in response. "What's with the crystal?" she asked taking it out of the box as well. The crystal was about an inch long and a glimmering shade of ice blue.

"Haven't you figured it out?" asked Axle. "It's a kyber crystal. It was your mother's."

So I could potentially make a lightsaber with this? She thought. The thought was extremely exciting. Nutmeg wasn't sure why but part of her just found it very wrong to make a lightsaber with someone else's crystal. It didn't feel right.

"It's a lot to take in kid I know," Axle said.

"Axle I don't think I'm a force user," she said.

"Why not?"

"I just don't feel special enough," Nutmeg told him. "I'm just ordinary. Aren't I?"

Nutmeg didn't want to just be ordinary. She wanted to be special. It just wasn't believable that she could be any more than what she was.

"No kid," Axle said. "You're very special, one in a billion, force user or not."

"Thanks Axle."

"No problem kid."

"Axle?"

"Yeah?"

"Now what?"

"I don't know kid. I don't know."


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Nutmeg had left the table and now sat back down on her bed thinking about everything that had happened. Could she really be what Axle thought she was? A force user? It's not like he was an expert or anything. He could be making a mistake. _But what about what he said to you?_ Nutmeg asked herself. _The evidence is there and you know it._ She did know that there was evidence, but what she didn't know was if it was valid or not.

She sighed and took a look at the three books that lay on her shelf. The top one was a small, decorative, very old looking leather bound book. Nutmeg picked it up and examined the cover. It had some intricate designs imprinted into the leather around the cover and spine of the book. There was a blue gem embedded into the middle of it and the whole book was clasped closed by a brass latch.

Nutmeg wasn't sure about how she felt reading someone else's journal. Wasn't a diary supposed to be where one wrote their most secret feelings? It just felt like such an invasion to her to read it.

She layed back on her bed and sighed. How could she possibly be anything like Axle was suggesting? A Jedi, her? No way. How should he know? He's never met one. How much could he possibly know about force users or stuff like that? In fact why should Nutmeg even believe there even was a something called the Force? What was it that Axle had said it was? Some great big energy field? It just didn't make any sense. The Jedi probably had existed, but who's to say they really did 'use the Force'? It could have just been rumors or something, but at the same time it might not have been. Nutmeg didn't know what she knew anymore. This was one heck of a confusing day. That was for sure though.

But how was she supposed to explain those weird feelings she knew she did feel? For awhile Nutmeg used to think that everyone could do that, but later she came to realize that wasn't the case. Could it really have something to do with some great big Force? Nutmeg had so many questions to ask that she knew many of which couldn't be answered, at least not by her or Axle.

Speaking of Axle a knock came at the door to her room. "Yeah?" Nutmeg called down her room stairs to the door.

"Can I come in?" came Axle's voice from the other side of the door.

"Yeah."

Nutmeg soon heard his footsteps heading up the stairs and into her room.

"Hey," he said

"Hey," Nutmeg replied. They were quiet for awhile.

"Kid, what do you think about all this?" asked Axle. "You can be honest,"

"I-I just have so many questions that I know I won't find the answers to," Nutmeg sighed. "And who's to say there even is a Force in the first place? You're not exactly an expert. A great big energy field that surrounds each and every one of us? I haven't seen much around the galaxy, but one thing's for sure. I've never seen anything that's made me believe there's one all-powerful force controlling everything."

"Look kid, then how else do you explain those feelings you get? You know that most people-"

"Just because I'm insightful doesn't mean that I'm in control of 'the Force," she said interrupting Axle, doing air quotes as she mentioned the Force.

"I'd call it a bit more than insightful," Axle told her.

"Anyway," said Nutmeg swiftly changing the subject. "Where'd you get the diary and the books?"

"Mopar picked up the diary on Jedha, not Jedha city obviously. That was destroyed awhile ago, but it wasn't too far from there. He actually stumbled across it by accident originally and I had to pay him _a lot_ of credits in order for him not to sell it someone else." He said annoyed. "Oh by the way, there used to be a Jedi temple on Jedha you know." he added.

"That's cool," Nutmeg stated unenthusiastically.

"Come on kid! I thought you'd be way more excited about this! Show some enthusiasm!"

"Even if the Force _was_ real and I _was_ a force user how would I learn how to _use_ the Force?"

"I've been trying to figure that out kid!" Axle stated. Nutmeg sighed in reply.

"Why do you believe all this is true?" She asked Axle

"I already told you kid! I believe it's true because it is. Why you refuse to accept that is beyond me!" Axle said half amused, half irritated.

"What I mean is, why do you believe this all has to do with some big Force? I understand that you think I have some sort of 'powers', but it just doesn't make sense. Why should just because I can- I don't know do what you said in any sort of way, mean that a great big Force is responsible for it? Maybe I'm just observant."

"You think I haven't questioned it myself in the past?" Axle retorted. "I used to think the same way you do now, but then I realized that I was wrong. And maybe, if you're not as stubborn as I think you are," Axle said smirking. "-you might realize that you are too."

The room was quiet for awhile before Cavern came in begging for attention and lugging in a rollable chair that belonged in Axle's room. Why? Who the heck knew. After the joyful massiff was shooed away the silence ensued.

After while Nutmeg decided to break this silence. "Axle, why did you change your mind?" she asked quietly.

"What do you mean?" he asked in reply.

"Why did you decide to give me the box and tell me all this when before you seemed so intent on keeping it secret?"

"I just felt really guilty." he replied. "I was originally going to tell you around the age of sixteen or so." Axle paused, looking as if a scary thought had just entered his head. "Sheesh and I thought you were mad now!" he said shuddering at the thought. "Teenagers," he muttered under his breath. "Anyway," he said changing the subject back to the matter at hand. "And yes I know that I said earlier that I was planning to give it to you around the time your father was. I kinda lied." he admitted "I knew that you might not be ready to handle the importance of keeping this all a secret, but at the same time you had a right to know all this and I finally decided, literally minutes before I gave you the box may I add, that I would give it to you and tell you everything. Before I was just going to tell you what the Jedi were and give you Mopar's gift." Axle explained.

"Oh."

"Oh? What do you mean, oh?!

Nutmeg's head was racing faster than she thought it ever had. New thought were surfacing every millisecond. It was impossible to distinguish one from another. She took a deep breath and focused.

"Axle I think I just need some time to think about this," Nutmeg explained.

"Alright kid. You know where I'll be if you need to talk," he said massing up Nutmeg's dirty blonde hair. Where exactly Axle would be exactly would probably be polishing the blasters that hung all over his room wall, on his bed.

She lay back on her bed not even bothering to cover herself with the teal quilt that was balled up at the end of it. Nutmeg checked her alarm clock which now read 6:57 PM.

Nutmeg lay there for awhile just thinking to herself. She wasn't exactly sure how long it had been. It might have been minutes or hours. She looked back over at the diary on her shelf when out of the corner of her eye she saw a flash of blue. She looked over in the direction of where she saw it and sitting there on the foot of her bed, legs crossed was a teenage girl with blue skin, dark violet hair, brilliant golden eyes and what looked to be yellow-gold facial tattoos. She was wearing a long sleeved, dark blue dress, with gold designs on it, and silver robes over it. The strangest thing about this woman was that she almost seemed to be glowing.

Nutmeg jumped up out of her bed. She had no idea how this person could have possibly gotten in without her noticing.

"Axle!" she called urgently down stairs not taking her eyes of the woman.

"Yeah?" came a Axle's voice.

"Get up here, now!" Nutmeg said, slightly afraid this person was here to burglarize them.

"Kid what did you do?" asked Axle as he reached the top of the stairs.

Nutmeg pointed sharply at the woman sitting on her bed, hand shaking.

"What?" asked Axle, curiously.

"Th-the woman s-sitting right there!" Nutmeg stuttered, incredulously.

"Huh?" Axle said, obviously confused.

"Right there!" Nutmeg exclaimed.

The strange woman was looking at the two of them obviously quite amused at the exchange.

"Kid, there's nothing there."

Nutmeg gaped at Axle. How could he not see her?! She was sitting right there!

"Maybe you should lay down kid," Axle insisted.

"No! I'm not going to lay down! Why can't you see her?! She's right there!" Nutmeg exclaimed getting extremely frustrated.

"Kid," Axle said firmly, his hand on Nutmeg's shoulder. "There is no one there. Now why don't you lay down and try to get some sleep. It's getting late and we've got a mission tomorrow. And you're starting to see things."

Nutmeg reluctantly laid back down on her bed, still staring at this woman.

"Night kid. Happy birthday."

The moment Axle left the room Nutmeg sat straight up and stared this person square in the eye.

"You're not real," she told her. "You're just a hallucination."

The hallucination cracked a wide smile. "Really? Am I now?" Nutmeg flinched at it saying something. "My name's Elis." _Elis?_ Nutmeg asked herself. _Isn't that the name of the girl from the diary?_

"Well, i-if you're not a hallucination than what are you and why couldn't Axle see you?!" Nutmeg asked it.

"I'm a force ghost of course!" it replied as if the answer were plainly obvious. "Only force users can see us."

"Prove it."

It rolled it's eyes. "Well how am I supposed to do that! You'll just have to trust me."

Nutmeg considered the possibility. There was no reason for her to _be_ hallucinating... She quickly banished the idea that any of this could possibly be real. There would be no way she was trusting anything.

"Anyhow," said the girl. "Talk to me. Why are you doubting all this?"

Nutmeg supposed it couldn't hurt to talk to her. "Well for one," she began. "This whole Force thing doesn't exactly seem very realistic and even if it was real, why would me of all people be gifted with any of this."

"I understand why you have your doubts. When I first started as a Padawan, training to become a Jedi, it took me a long time to master my abilities and before I did, I thought the Council had made a mistake about me, but I was wrong." Elis paused. "The Force chose you for reason too. It'll all make sense in time. Believe me most of the time the Force's decisions can be a bit confusing at first, but in the long run they're usually damn good decisions."

"But how do I know that Axle's right about any of this? He's not exactly an expert."

"He knows more about the Force than you think. Sure he's no Force user, but he's not exactly ignorant on the subject either."

Nutmeg sighed. What was Elis saying? Why should she think that she was special either? What was the Council or a Padawan?

"Look." Elis said. "You see my journal?" she asked gesturing to the small book.

"Yes," Nutmeg replied.

"Read it." she insisted. "Yes it has a few secrets in there, but not any that'll matter anymore. Just one in particular, don't tell anyone about Gaiven. Well not that you could anyway."

Nutmeg wondered briefly who Gaiven was, but didn't ask. She was too busy thinking about something else. _Could this possibly be real?_ she asked herself. Again all this just might be, but on the other hand there was much reason to suspect otherwise.

"I can start reading it to you now if you'd like, just the first couple pages of course, but still it'll give you a good idea of what you'll be reading.

"Okay," replied Nutmeg.

Elis grabbed the diary and unlatched it. She faced the book towards Nutmeg showing her a picture of what looked to be a fourteen or fifteen year old Elis. She cleared her throat and began. "Hi. My name's Eliscana Zerek. I know right, I have the worst name in the galaxy, but I just go by Elis, which I think suits me much more. Anyway the most exciting thing that's ever happen to me in my life just happened. A Jedi, I know,a _Jedi_ just told me that I have an opportunity to become one of them! He took me aboard his ship and before I left my mother gave me this book, that I decided I'm going to use as a journal. The Jedi introduced himself as Gaiven Uoio and he only looked to be about four or five years older than me! I didn't even know Jedi could be that young! Well right now I don't know very much about the Jedi. Gaiven told me that he didn't know if the Council (I'm guessing he's talking about the Jedi Council) would accept me or not because I'm apparently older than the average padawan (I'm guessing that's like a young Jedi or something) and I know my family and stuff. Apparently you're not really supposed to know your family. I don't know." Elis paused seeming to be looking fondly back on old forgotten memories.

"Anyway," she said snapping out of it. "Back to this: I knew I would miss my family even though they were always busy and couldn't always find time to share with me. Either way it's not like I can completely forget about them. I'm a Pantoran, so I have facial tattoos that shown my family status. Mine are a four v shapes on my forehead, cheeks and chin. Gaiven seems like a bit of a pain right now, kinda annoying, but nice enough." Elis stopped and laughed to herself obviously thinking something was quite funny."Okay, this is where I'm going to stop for now. What do you think?" she asked.

"It's good so far!" Nutmeg told Elis, honestly enjoying having the diary read to her.

"Glad you think so 'cause it's kinda my life!" Elis told her smiling. "Well I've got to run!" Elis told her winking.

One more possibility ran through Nutmeg's head. "Elis, wait!"

"Yeah?"

"Am I dreaming?" she asked.

"Of course you are, silly!" Elis told her."Bye!"

And Nutmeg opened her eyes.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Axle!" exclaimed Nutmeg bursting into the kitchen.

"Woah kid, what the hell?! You look like you just saw a ghost." Axle replied. "Anyway, you're just in time. I was about to go and wake you up for dinner.

 _It_ was _a dream!_ But how much of it? It all did feel very real.

"Axle, did you come back into my room after I left the table at lunch?" she pressed

"Uh, yes?" he replied, obviously confused.

"Okay what about after that?" she demanded.

"Yeah. I came up to check up on you and saw you fell asleep," he said. "Why?" he asked slightly suspiciously. "What did yo-"

"I didn't do anything," Nutmeg said cutting him off. "I just had a really confusing dream," she explained.

"Alright." Axle said obviously curious, but he didn't pry. "Well like I said dinner's ready."

On the table there were two _huge_ chicken parmesan sandwiches. Nutmeg _loved_ chicken parm. They smelled amazing… which was unusual.

"Axle, you didn't make this, did you?" Nutmeg asked.

"As a matter of fact I did!" he responded proudly. "I've been looking up some tips on the holonet. They actually kinda work! I still didn't make the cake though. And be warned this is not going to last." he stated.

They both enjoyed a still slightly overcooked, but still amazing dinner that night and before she knew it Nutmeg was back in bed.

She piled her covers on top of herself and nestled down into her mattress. Nutmeg finally found a comfy spot when Axle came in.

"Hey, Axle," she said.

"Heya kid," he replied. "Rest up, alright. We've got a big day tomorrow."

"What do you mean?" Nutmeg asked. She remembered Axle saying something like that in her dream, but it must have been a coincidence.

"Just a routine mission, but the reward is huge so I couldn't pass it up," he explained.

"Oh. Who hired us?" Nutmeg asked sitting up.

Axle cringed. "The Hutt Clan."

Nutmeg groaned. They had taken jobs from the Hutts before and none of them ever seemed to end all that well. Either the jobs were really challenging and when they failed the Hutts came after them or they did it correctly and the Hutts just refused to pay them.

"Look kid I know, but the thing is we can't afford to pass up this opportunity. This is _seventy thousand_ credits we're talking about!" he exclaimed.

Nutmeg groaned again. Why did Axle always need so much money?! They weren't exactly poor. She supposed it was a bounty hunter thing. Of course Nutmeg was going to be a bounty hunter one day so she better start thinking the same way.

"Alright." she complied, even though she had a feeling this mission wasn't going to go exactly as planned.

"Anyway kid, the mission is to capture this person named Leiva Shi and if we can, her partner, Zara Ward. They must have really done something to piss of the Hutts or we wouldn't be being paid nearly this much," Axle stated. "It also probably means that they'll be hard to find."

"Got it," Nutmeg responded.

"We'll be going undercover. You're posing as my niece-and yes it is technically possible " he stated. Nutmeg laughed. "But first we have to meet up with a contact of mine who'll give us information we need," Axle explained.

"Got it," she said again.

"Like I said kid, get some rest. Happy birthday." said Axle walking out of the room and turning out the light.

Nutmeg opened her eyes and hit the off button on her alarm clock. She got up and dressed quickly, grabbed a hairbrush to go and was at the kitchen table before she could say bantha!

"You're actually on time for once!" Axle exclaimed jokingly.

Nutmeg rolled her eyes in response. "I'm on time sometimes!"

"Maybe you are, but it still surprises me every time." Axle replied. Nutmeg glared at Axle. "Kidding," said Axle messing up Nutmeg's hair further.

"Come on," said Axle grabbing some ration packs. "Let's get going."

They boarded the Shadow and sat down in the usual seats. Nutmeg was flying this time. She was getting better at taking off and landing, so she successfully took off from the planet's surface and they were soon in hyperspace.

"Alright kid so this is how the missions going to go. First we're going to the moon Raada where we're meeting this contact. Then we're going to wherever he says they could be. Again you're going as my niece named Riley and I'm your uncle, Elxa.

"Uh, how does that work agian, Axle?"

"I would have to be your mother or father's, sister's husband. Well not that I'd ever have a wife. One, I'm not exactly the romantic type, two I'm not interested, but no one needs to know that do they." Nutmeg giggled. There was no way she'd ever see Axle falling in love with anyone. Ever.

Awhile in hyperspace later they arrived at Raada. Nutmeg "expertly" as she stated, landed at an old ship port. The vessels were practically falling apart, all but one. The one obscure ship was bright, shiny and well kept. In large letters on the side it said, "The Smoke".

They moved on from the shipyard and waited. Waited for someone, anyone to come by and signal that they were the one they were looking for.

"Did they give you a name, Axle?" asked Nutmeg.

"Nope. They just said he'd meet us here. Guess he's late."

"Actually, I'm right on time," came a voice from behind them. Nutmeg jumped two feet in the air and spun around. The figure was wearing a tan cloak and hood that obscured his face. His voice was disguised by a voice modulator.

He gestured for them to follow. Nutmeg and Axle exchanged a glance and treaded after him. They sheltered in an old abandoned shack from the sweltering sun.

The figure turned towards them and removed his hood to reveal that he was in fact a she! She had light skin, long dark brown hair, tied into an array of small braids and blue eyes.

Axle was looking rather surprised at his contact being a woman. "What is there a problem?" she asked sharply, her voice no longer disguised.

"N-no." Axle replied.

"Good," she replied dangerously. "So you're Axle?"

"That's me."

"Who's she? You're daughter?" asked the woman.

"Oh yeah sure she's my daughter," Axle replied sarcastically. "Can't you just see the family resemblance?"

The woman stared flatly back at him, obviously not amused. "I meant stepdaughter."

"Well yeah, kinda sorta," Axle replied awkwardly. "More like my partner."

"Gotcha." she replied. "Well I'm Narri, Narri Olles."

"Look Olles, do you have the info we need?" Axle asked.

"Yeah, but there's only one reason I'm helping you. Let's get this strait. I'm no bounty hunter or smuggler. Those two people you're looking for. Ward's mother owes my family say, some misfortune, so when I heard of the opportunity I thought I'd help ."

"Yeah you don't really seem too much like the bounty hunter type." Axle stated.

Narri was on him in a second holding him by his shirt collar. "And what exactly is that supposed to mean?!" she spat.

"I was ju-"

"Got anything else to say about my _capabilities_?!"

Axle let his mouth hang open for a few seconds.

"That's what I thought!" She said narrowing her eyes, then releasing him.

Nutmeg and Axle both stared in surprise at her. Nutmeg didn't think she'd ever seen anyone grab Axle by the collar of his shirt like that before and because of it she felt her face turning red at her laughter being held back. However she couldn't stifle a snicker

Axle cleared his throat and he turned a little pink out of embarrassment. "Anyway. So do you know where they are?" he said changing the subject.

"They're going to most likely be on Naboo. They have a small base there I think. They work with pirates occasionally, but they're not part of the crew. That's all I can tell you."

"That's it?!" Axle exclaimed.

"Look, I'm sorry I couldn-

"No, no, no, no. What I mean is, that's it. You're not going to force us to pay you some outrageous amount?"

"I told you, I don't care about credits." she told him

"Well in that case, let's get going kid!" Axle exclaimed, obviously pleased that he wouldn't have to pay Narri anything.

"I've got to get going myself," Narri said. "Me and my friend have got a mission to Lothal."

"I thought you said you weren-"

"It's for me to know and for you to never find out."

"Alright fine, fine," Axle said backing off. He honestly seemed a little afraid of Narri.

The three of them all walked out of the building and back into the hot sun and they made their way back to the shipyard.

Narri was about to board the ship they had noticed when Axle stopped her. "So uh why do you call it the Smoke?" he asked.

"Because trying to catch me in my ship would be like trying to catch Smoke with your bare hands." Narri walked inside her ship and from inside they could hear her shout to someone else, "Come on Olive, let's go we're behind schedule!"and a few seconds later the Smoke took off.

Axle and Nutmeg climbed into the Shadow and once they were inside Axle muttered, "Crazy friggin psycho," most likely talking about their temperamental contact.

A couple hours in hyperspace later they stopped at a green and blue planet with swirls of white clouds swirling across the surface. After they landed on Naboo, Axle told Nutmeg that they needed to buy some clothes to blend in with the locals.

They walked into the clothing store and soon enough they each had an outfit. Nutmeg had selected a dark blue dress with silver lace and designs, a silver colored hair clip and white shoes. Axle had a dark green tunic, brown-red pants and some leather boots.

"All set?" he asked.

"Yep." Nutmeg replied.

After they bought the clothes they went to the changing rooms in the back and put on their new clothes. They then placed their old ones in the shopping bag.

"Alright kid, let's go!" Exclaimed Axle after they had changed.

They walked through the city on Naboo and as they walked Nutmeg asked "Hey Axle how are we going to find these two people?"

"How do you think?" Axle asked. "We ask around."

Axle looked around quickly before he spotted some random Human male eating a sandwich. "Hi there. Sorry to bother," he began. "Me and my niece here were invited to a good friend's house here on our homeworld Naboo. The trouble is that she had recently relocated and she mistakenly only told us the planet and my comn link's broken. You don't happen to know a Leiva Shi, do you?"

The man grumbled under his breath. Something about filthy locals? "Look," his voice was gruff. He had a tone of superiority and the face to match. "I do not affiliate with scum such as your selves." He then tilted his head back and spit at Axle's feet.

Nutmeg was fighting the urge to punch him. Axle obviously was having more trouble. "Hey buddy, you want to come here a sec?" Axle first then came in contact with the man's face, earning them both a few looks in the process. "Come on kid, let's go," he said leaving the man on the ground.

"Did you cut your fist on his face?!" Nutmeg laughed looking at Axle's bleeding knuckle.

"No," Axle grumbled. Nutmeg started hysterically laughing. Axle chuckled in response. "Okay, okay I guess it is pretty funny," he said.

Awhile later they had given up on asking around. No one had known who Leiva Shi or Zara Ward was.

"You think she scammed us?" Nutmeg asked Axle.

"No. Why would she? Olles didn't take any of our credits," Axle stated

"Maybe she was friends with them and she wanted to throw us off?" Nutmeg suggested.

"Maybe. Well we should keep looking anyway, check more areas of the planet."

Nutmeg sighed."Okay." But, for whatever reason she didn't think they'd have much luck.

Axle and Nutmeg stayed on Naboo for a few more days before they finally had to give up on finding Leiva ad Zara there. Narri turns out _had_ scammed them, in fact according to the Hutts, she wasn't even the real contact. They were supposed to meet with some guy named Sragne, who had conveniently gone missing recently.

"Well this sucks." Axle stated as the he hung up on the Hutt, the information just been given to him. We've now got absolutely no idea where either of them are!" he exclaimed, "Well of course other than the fact that they're not on Naboo!" he added bitterly. Axle was clearly pissed and stressed. "You know what, Florrum's nice! Wanna go to Florrum? Great me too!" Axle said his voice strained, walking into the backroom of the Shadow. Nutmeg she should let Axle get over himself, although if they were going to Florrum that would be cool!

Axle came back in looking calmer. "Haha, got a little carried away there didn't I?"

"Does that mean that we're not going to Florrum?" Nutmeg asked.

Axle laughed. "No, no we can still go to Florrum," he chuckled.

"Yay!" Nutmeg exclaimed.

More hyperspace later they arrived at the dusty ball that was Florrum. Florrum served as the base for a huge group of pirates, so Axle and Nutmeg needed to verify that they weren't enemies as far as the pirates were concerned.

After a long banter filled conversation between Axle and one of the pirates in charge of security, they were finally permitted to land on the planet's surface. Nutmeg liked Florrum. It was a desert planet, but somehow more lively than the average. She guessed that that was because of the strange wildlife and rampaging pirates. It wasn't even close to being her favorite though.

One of the pirates, one Nutmeg recognized, was heading towards them. "Axle, buddy!" he exclaimed arms extended. "How are you my old friend?" he asked

"Good Bellum," Axle replied.

"Good, good!" he replied. "And you still hangin' around with this kid ah! I'm surprised you've been able to handle her this long! She's a feisty! Hello young one." he said addressing Nutmeg.

"Hi Bellum."

"You look older child. You must stop growing!"

Nutmeg laughed. She kind of saw Bellum a bit like her crazy uncle. It had been probably a year or so since she had seen him last. He was one of the reasons she was excited to go to Florrum. Many of the other pirates thought he was a lot like another pirate who had retired a while ago, named Hondo Ohnaka.

"That's not how it works," Nutmeg told him.

Bellum sighed. "Sadly not, I suppose." " Anyway!" he said brightening. "What brings you two to my wonderful planet?!"

"To be honest Bellum," Axle began. "I like Florrum and I just lost seventy thousand credits, so we decided to stop by."

"Seventy thousand!?" Bellum exclaimed. He clucked his tongue sadly. "Bad business my friend, bad business indeed. Well Florrum's not exactly a vacation spot, but if you like it, I'm not complaining!" he exclaimed. "Come you can stay with me!"

They followed Bellum into his quarters in the huge base. He had shelves full of strange artifacts from various planets on his walls, a two velvet couches and a huge king size bed.

"Welcome to my lair! As you can see I've upgraded since the last time you were here. I have been promoted!"

"Nice job Bellum." Axle congratulated him.

"Thank you very much!" he said proudly. "Ah young one!" he said turning to Nutmeg. "There's another someone who is visiting that I think you might get along with!" he exclaimed "Come and see!"

"We'll be back Axle!" Nutmeg told him.

Bellum went through the hallway and started knocking on one of the doors. "Hello anyone there?" he said.

The door suddenly opened. Standing there was a girl with dark skin black hair and was wearing a blue shirt and black pants. "Yes?" she said.

"Hello there," Bellum said. "I have a good friend with me here and I thought she might get along with yours."

"Alright," she said. "I'll get her."

She soon came back with a girl who looked to be about Nutmeg's age wearing a grey shirt and blue pants with pale blonde hair and blue eyes.

"Hi." she said.

"Hi" said Nutmeg back. "My name's Nutmeg."

"My name's Zara, Zara Ward."


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 

Nutmeg choked. This was Zara Ward?! She was here? She couldn't have been any older than Nutmeg and she was this wanted? The other girl, who she assumed to be Leiva was probably only about sixteen. They were just kids.

Nutmeg couldn't hold back her astonishment. "You're Zara Ward?!" she exclaimed, realizing her mistake a moment too late.

Leiva stepped in front of Zara, suspicion and panic clouding her gaze. At about five' nine she towered over Nutmeg's height of four' two. "You've heard of us." she questioned.

"I heard that you two were wanted a few days ago," she said thinking fast. "I didn't think much of it, but I didn't realize that you were so young." It was technically the truth, but it would make it sound as if she weren't looking for them.

Leiva let the tension release from her body and seemed to have calmed down a bit. "Sorry," she said. "I've just been a little on edge lately. My name's Leiva."

"Hi there," Nutmeg exclaimed.

"Well you all seem to be getting along fine!" Bellum (who Nutmeg may or may not have forgotten was there) exclaimed. "I'll be leaving then! Have fun! Try not to kill each other..."

Zara laughed at Bellum's remark. She and Leiva seemed to know him pretty well. Maybe their 'contact' wasn't lying about them working with pirates every so often, just about their location.

"So…" Nutmeg said trying to start up a conversation. "Why are you guys on Florrum?" She decided she would try to find out some information about them to make it easier for her and Axle to capture them.

"Business," Leiva said. "What about you?"

"I'm here visiting with- my- er uncle."

"Hmm. What did you say your name was?" Leiva asked. It was too late to go back to being Riley, Axle's niece, so she may as well answer honestly.

"I'm Nutmeg."

"Nice to meet you."

"You too."

"So," Leiva began obviously trying to start a conversation as well. "Where you from?" She asked.

"Diversus."

"Hey come on kid can you help me out with this?!" came Axle's voice from a bit far off.

"Coming uncle!" Nutmeg called back, hoping that Axle would go with it.

"I've got to go." she stated

"Alright well see you around," said Leiva.

"Bye."

Nutmeg walked towards the door and waved goodbye to Zara who had been lingering towards the back of the room. She walked out and closed the door behind her. She had begun to walk away when a few words caught her ear from inside. Nutmeg had always had acute hearing. She considered it an aptitude of her's.

It was Zara's voice. "Leiva, I've got a bad feeling about her."

"What? Why?"she heard Leiva reply, sounding panicked again.

"I just have a bad feeling about why she's really here."

"Alright I trust you."

Nutmeg dashed towards Bellum's quarters. How could Zara possibly have known about them looking for them?! No matter. All that mattered was that her and Axle acted quickly. She opened the door and almost ran head first into Axle.

"Uncle?" he asked.

"Axle, Leiva and Zara are here!"

"Wait what?!" he exclaimed.

"I just met them and they know that I can't be trusted."

"Kid, what do you mean you met them? And how do they already not trust you?!"

"I mean that Bellum just introduced me to them and I have no idea how they knew, but I overheard Zara saying that she had a bad feeling about me."

"Alright, kid," said Axle. "I've got a plan so just go with it alright."

Axle abruptly yanked Nutmeg up by her arm.

"Hey!"

"Like I said, just go with it." he said

He dragged Nutmeg to where she told him their quarters were. He knocked on the door and waited. A few seconds later, there came a rushed response.

"Now's not a great time! Please come back later." said Leiva's voice

"It's important." said Axle.

"Really not the time." said Leiva again.

"Aright," muttered Axle. "Doing this the hard way then it seems," he said pulling out a blaster pistol.

He held up three fingers, two, then one. At zero, he shot, then kicked open the door, but at the same time the sound of shattering glass came from inside. They burst in a moment too late. It seemed that Leiva and Zara had broken a window and had made their escape.

"Damnit!" Axle swore. "Come on."

"Just curious," Nutmeg asked. "What was the plan?"

"Well I was going to say that I had caught you eavesdropping and turn you into them, but obviously that didn't work.

It was only a first story window, so they could easily climb out, and climb out they did. The pursuit began. Leiva and Zara were ducking behind various things that would block them from Axle's line of fire. They looked to be making their way towards the shipyard where the Shadow and probably their ship was parked.

As predicted a ship took off from the yard a few minutes later, with the Shadow in close pursuit. The moment they left the ground the enemy ship began to fire at them. Which meant that Nutmeg either had to pilot or gun. She had never been able to operate the blasters on a ship, so pilot it was.

"Axle move!" she shouted at Axle who was currently piloting.

He got up and dashed to the guns without a word.

Nutmeg had only ever flown in a battle one other time and she had almost gotten her and Axle both killed. Hopefully this time they had better luck.

She steered the ship upwards until she executed a banking turn around the enemy ship, giving Axle the opportunity to fire. Two red bolts shot towards the enemy ship, but it steered right, out of the way.

The enemy ship retaliated with a series of shots headed their way. Nutmeg swerved out of the way sharply, causing many loose objects to slide across the Shadow, as well as Nutmeg to almost fall out of her seat.

"Careful up there kid!" Axle called.

"Sorry," she called back.

The enemy ship had begun to drive the Shadow down, but Nutmeg responded with a risky move on her part. She hadn't really thought about it until it was happening, but soon enough the Shadow was charging straight upwards directly towards the sky. There would either be a head on collision or one of them would have to get the heck out of the way.

"Kid!" Axle yelled nervously.

They both ended up getting the heck out of the way, Nutmeg still had the advantage of being above them. She got into the perfect position for Axle to fire while the enemy ship was still recovering from the tight turn.

Two more blaster bolts struck the ship in its starboard engine, enough to take it to the ground quickly, without its passengers getting too hurt.

The enemy ship crashed down back on Florrum's surface and the Shadow landed right next to it.

"Nice flying kid!" Axle exclaimed proudly. "You didn't almost kill us this time!" he beamed. Axle was acting underwhelmed, but Nutmeg knew he was impressed and that made her beam back.

They boarded the enemy ship, sneaking silently through the hallways. The ship looked to belong to the pirates and not Leiva and Zara.

Nutmeg didn't have a weapon which made her feel vulnerable. She looked around a little bit to see if she could find something, when she came across a strange object. It looked like an unusual sort of bow without any string. It looked to be made of metal, but carried none of the weight that she'd expect a metal bow to possess. It had a tint of rust color all over it, but it was perfectly smooth without a trace of rust. She pulled back on what looked to be a grip of some sort where a string should have been and two beams of bright purple plasma shot out from each end of the handle connecting to each end of the bow.

"Wow," she whispered.

She found if she squeezed the handle, another bolt of plasma shot out from the handle with a sharp tip, forming an arrow. Even if she had no idea how to use the weapon, having it made her feel more secure.

Nutmeg walked back over to Axle and showed him her find. He seemed in awe of the weapon. Apparently they were extremely rare and they were called energy bows.

Her and Axle continued to creep through the ship looking for their targets. Nutmeg with her energy bow and Axle with his blaster. The clang of metal from a short distance away scared the living daylights out of Nutmeg, but at least now they knew where at least one of them were. They followed the noise to what looked to be a dead ended hallway, but Axle seemed to know exactly what was going on.

Nutmeg looked at him questioningly. Axle pointed down towards the floor. There must be storage compartments, Nutmeg realized. Which meant that they had them cornered. Nutmeg pointed her bow at the compartment and she got ready for Axle to pry it open. Axle lifted of the top and the were both greeted with two blasters pointed at them.

Axle looked shocked. Not about the blasters of course. Even Nutmeg had known that they would have weapons. He was probably shocked about their young age.

"Kid," Axle said addressing Nutmeg not taking his eyes off their prisoners. "You didn't tell me they were this young."

"I didn't think it mattered."

Axle lowered his blaster. Nutmeg gawked at him.

"Nutmeg, you know I don't hurt kids."

It had completely slipped her mind. Unlike most bounty hunters Axle had what he liked to call a code of honor. For one he didn't unnecessarily kill. Two he didn't demand outrageous amounts of credits wherever he went. Three he wouldn't hurt kids, anyone under seventeen even if it meant losing money.

Nutmeg lowered her energy bow and let the grip slowly travel back towards the bow, which seemed to be how to turn it off.

Leiva and Zara still looked suspicious, especially Leiva and who could blame them. Nutmeg would be too. The bad part though was that they hadn't lowered their weapons.

"Look," Axle said to them. "Do want a ride on our ship?" The two of them remained silent. "If we really wanted to kill you, turn you in or whatever. It wouldn't be all that hard to do right here and now. You do realize that don't you?"

"So let me get this straight," Leiva said flatly. "You chase us, shoot us down, corner us, and all of a sudden you're our friend and we're supposed to trust you? Did I forget anything?" she said staring holes through Axle.

"Alright fine." Axle said. "We'll leave then, but just know if you decide to shoot me in the back I am still armed."

He turned around and walked away leaving Nutmeg alone with them. "I'm just going to-" She turned around and quickly followed Axle.

After she caught up with him, she muttered "Are we really doing this?"

"Yes" Axle replied. "You know that I stick to my rules kid."

"Alright, I know" Nutmeg complied. She never had understood why he felt so strongly about sticking to that one particular rule, but he did, and she wasn't about to start an argument about it.

They were about to board the Shadow when Nutmeg heard Leiva's voice from behind her. "Wait." she said. Nutmeg and Axle turned around to see Leiva and Zara standing there. "We wouldn't mind getting a ride to Coracant" she said.

"If you insist," smirked Axle. "The Shadow's the biggest piece of shit, you'll ever ride on, but it's a hell of a ship, that's for sure."

Axle had a strange relationship with the Shadow. His pet name for it was 'My flying piece of wonderful garbage' because The Shadow had a tendency to break down…. A Lot, but when it was functioning correctly, It ran smooth, silent, fast and sneaky.

The four of them boarded the Shadow. Leiva still looked suspicious of the two of them, but Zara seemed to be warming up to Nutmeg a bit.

"Hi." she said to Nutmeg.

"Hi"

"So is your name really Nutmeg, or was that just your fake name?" Zara asked.

"It's really my name." she replied. There was a long pause before Nutmeg decided to ask the question that had been tugging at her curiosity since she had first met Zara and Leiva. "How did you two get so wanted in the first place?"

"It's a long story." she replied.

"It's a long ride." There was another long pause.

"When Leiva was thirteen she ran away from home. Four years before, her mother had abused her, verbally and physically. She still has the scars. When she ran away her mother was desperate to find her. Days after she left, Leiva found me. I was living on the deepest darkest levels of Coracant with my mother. We had been living off the few credits that my mother's good friend Narri could supply us with. She stayed with us for a couple weeks before her mother found us. She shot my mother for trying to protect her. We got away, but Leiva's never forgiven herself for letting my mother die. She tells herself that if she wasn't there, if she hadn't run away, if she had just given herself up, than my mother would have lived."

Nutmeg felt her heart break, at Zara's story. It was horrible, what Leiva's mother had done. She almost couldn't believe it.

"Since then her mother has looked and looked for us. After a while she hired bounty hunters, then when they came back empty handed time after time, she got the Hutt Clan involved,in order to attract a bigger and better crowd. Remember when Leiva said she had been on edge lately? Lately has meant the last three years."

Nutmeg was mortified at the story. She felt tears stinging the corners of her eyes. She barely even knew Zara, but somehow she felt like she really understood her. Nutmeg couldn't help herself. She could feel the very sorrow that resided in Zara. Nutmeg embraced her and she felt Zara's sadness melt away like ice on Tatooine.

"Sorry," Nutmeg said releasing her.

"Don't worry about it," She replied.

Nutmeg walked into the bridge to see Axle and Leiva having a debate about the Shadow, Leiva claiming that the ship was a piece of shit and Axle defending it saying that it was a good ship, even though a lot of Leiva's claims, he's quoted before word for word. That's when Nutmeg noticed that they hadn't even left the planet's surface yet.

"Is there a problem?" asked Nutmeg. She looked at Leiva, but she didn't see her the same way she did before, now that Nutmeg knew what she had suffered through.

"Your stupid ship has broken down." she stated. Not again, Nutmeg thought.

"Hey, it may not work all the time, but when it does, it really works. Admit it. Plus you've seen it in action."

"I don't think your victory should be entirely credited to the ship. I will admit, you're not an entirely horrible pilot."

"You're right I'm not," Axle began. "But neither is she."

"You're the one who was flying?" Leiva asked looking at Nutmeg astounded. "How old are you, nine?"

"Eight," Nutmeg replied.

Leiva whistled in response. "Not bad."

Nutmeg beamed at the praise.

Awhile later after they got the Shadow repaired, with help from Bellum and part of his crew, they finally made their way to hyperspace. Coracant was all the way back in the core, a long way away from the outer rim so the ride would be taking a few hours.

After they dropped off Leiva and Zara on Coracant, Nutmeg and Axle went back to Northern Diversus. They landed in the usual clearing, but instead of taking their piece-of-junk-speeder, they were just going to walk the way back to the house. It was a beautiful night.

Nutmeg had always felt a special bond towards night. She loved going outside once the sun had set. She sometimes got lost gazing into the depths of the stars. She never quite understood why, but she knew that there were a lot of thing she had never understood about herself and maybe never would.

She took a deep breath of the cool August night air. "Hey Axle?" Nutmeg asked

"Yeah?"

"What did you think about Zara and Leiva?"

"Zara seemed like a sweet kid" he said. He paused. "Leiva seemed…"

"What?" Nutmeg asked.

"She just seemed kinda, I don't know, weird I guess."

"What do you mean, weird? What's wrong with that?"

"Weird isn't what I meant. She seemed nice, but it pretty obvious she has some serious anxiety and seems a little depressed, even if she tries to hide it." There was a pause. "Sorry, you're a little young for me to be talking to you about this kind of thing."

"Oh come on I'm mature," Nutmeg protested.

"That, I can't deny. You're only eight, but your mind is older."

Axle was cut short by the sound of a huge blaster bolt. They both spun around to where the sound had come from. In the air there was an Amaxine shuttle. There was a stream of smoke coming from the end of it as it plummeted through the air. The smoke was replaced by fire, which illuminated the night sky orange. Just then did she realize that they ship was now steering left… right towards Nutmeg and Axle.


	8. Chapter 7

**Hi there guys. I know I don't usually post little intros but I wanted To apologize for how long it's been since I posted. I know it's been a long while but I've been super busy with school, home work, theater and I also do tend to sleep sometimes, so I've been a little busy. So anyway (finally) here's chapter seven! Hope you enjoy!**

Chapter 7

Nutmeg immediate feeling was panic. They didn't have the speeder. The only thing they could do was run and even then they might not make it. The ship was losing altitude and fast.

Adrenaline pumped through Nutmeg's veins. She dashed away from the ship, Axle close behind her. That's when Nutmeg realized the speed at which she was going. Axle was even lagging behind a bit. She didn't usually run, but she was now realizing that she was fast.

As the ship neared them and it's details became more distinct, Nutmeg had time to register that what she thought was a Amaxine shuttle, in fact looked to be one of the old Imperial ones. It looked like it would have barely landed with or without it being shot down.

The ground shook as the ship hit the ground. Nutmeg felt herself fly forward. Her brief trip in mid air quickly ended as she hit the ground.

A faint breeze brushed her cheek. The mountain peaks sloped out in front of her in the distance.

She felt this place as her home and she loved it. The frigid open air stretched out beneath her as she stood on the ledge looking down at the chasm that loomed below. Clove knew she wasn't supposed to be out here by herself, as she was only eight but here she was at peace. For once she could escape the usual chaos that was her everyday life. She was alone and she liked it that way.

Abruptly she felt as if she was falling and the landscape vanished from around her. Now a great ugly city stretched out before him. The smells of the smoke and grime buffeted him in the face as the wind blew in his direction. He and the ,younger by four years, girl that sat next to him made a face as the sents reached them. She was a friend, a sister. He felt nervous, afraid. The girl mirrored his concern.

"Flocken?" He looked over at her as she spoke his name.

The girl hugged him tightly all of a sudden. She was crying.

"It's okay." he soothed "It's okay Quinn." he lied. He knew it wasn't okay. What if anyone found out? If his baby sister died he didn't know how he could live with himself. He loved her more than he loved life itself. Without her he would be completely alone. He didn't want to be alone. He was only twelve.

Again the vision faded like mist in the hot sun. She was fighting. Her weapon was spinning through the air faster than a loth cat chasing a mouse. Clove couldn't see her enemy yet she knew exactly where they were. She pushed them forwards but not a part of her touched them and she felt the Force flow through her.

Now everything went dark.

Several noises pierced the pitch blackness, but none more agonizing than a blood curdling scream of anguish. Nutmeg felt not from herself but from another life form, agonizing grief. Their sadness stabbed itself into Nutmeg's heart. She heard more screaming and someone yelling that they needed to run. Another voice alongside that one screaming "Leave her! Leave her!" The sounds of footsteps grew quiet in the distance and a horrible scent reached Nutmeg's nose. It was the stench of blood.

Light suddenly flooded her vision and Clove saw fire. Burning whiteness engulfed everything as the spherical orb tore itself apart in a mass of what was once her beautiful home. Not just her home, but home to trillions upon trillions of innocent people, who were now dead with the simple push of a few buttons. She felt there life force fade from existence forever.

A noise like lightning flooded the silence and Nutmeg burst awake.

Above her their a person she didn't recognize. It was a Togruta woman. She had orange skin, white markings, and white headtails with purple markings. She was wearing a strange sort of tan shawl over a light green shirt and black pants. She looked surprised yet relieved as Nutmeg stared up at her chest heaving.

Nutmeg looked at herself. When she was thrown forwards she must have hit her head and passed out. She tried to remember her dream, as she knew she had dreamt, just not what about but couldn't seem to remember. All she could make out in her head was a noise that she couldn't quite describe, one like lightning. Nutmeg slowed her breathing and calmed down. She examined herself and found she had a few cuts and scrapes, but otherwise seemed to be fine.

She looked back up at the Togruta. "Who are you?" she asked.

"My name's Roya," she said. "You?"

"Nutmeg."

Roya helped Nutmeg to her feet and she brushed herself off. Roya had a nasty looking cut on her cheek and several others all over her.

"Were you the one in that shuttle?" Nutmeg asked.

"Yeah. I stole it from a scrap heap on some wasteland planet. Everything was at least functioning alright before I got shot down. Anyhow, I thought I remember seeing someone else with you. Nautolan wasn't he?"

Nutmeg just then realized that she didn't see Axle anywhere. Her eyes scanned the surrounding area until she spotted him. He seemed to have been looking around, probably for her. She walked back towards him, still trying to dust herself off.

"You alright kid?" he asked

"I'm fine," Nutmeg replied.

"Who's this?" Axle asked referring to Roya.

"I'm the one who crashed. Sorry by the way. My name's Roya."

"Pleasure," Axle replied. "You look a bit banged up. Wanna ride back to our place?"

Roya looked to be considering it. After a few moments she answered. "It couldn't hurt I suppose."

They continued to walk back to the house when they reached the bottom of the rocky peak on which their home rested.

Roya's eyes widened. "You live up there?!" she exclaimed. "It's practically a cliff!"

Nutmeg looked up. She never really had considered how high it really was. She had been taking the trails up since she was a three year old. Now that she thought about it that may have been the reason she had never had a fear of heights.

"Let's get moving." said Axle.

Roya grumbled something under her breath that Nutmeg couldn't hear. Probably some complaint.

Roya most certainly looked relieved when they reached the top and made their way inside.

Cavern enthusiastically greeted the three of them at the door, immediately grabbing one of his toys and begging Roya to play.

"Alright, the couch is there. That's yours for now," Axle began. "Kitchen's through that door, bathroom up the ladder to the left and if you like reading like this kid," he said messing up Nutmeg's hair, which was replied to by a growl of annoyance. "the study's the door out of the kitchen."

"Thanks." Roya said. "So you're a bounty hunter huh?" she asked Axle

"How'd ya guess," he smirked.

"You dress like it."

"Hadn't noticed," Axle stated sarcastically. "Anyway I've got to get started on a very late dinner if you don't mind so make yourself at home I suppose." he said as he walked into the kitchen.

Nutmeg made a face at the thought of Axle's cooking. She wasn't exactly in the mood for a bland overcooked slab of anything he'd make. Then again, was she ever?

She looked up at Roya who had been looking at Nutmeg strangely. Nutmeg awkwardly ran her fingers through her long tangle of screwed up dirty blonde hair, makinging it only just as messy as usual.

Nutmeg hummed to herself trying to diffuse the tension.

"Sooo…" said Roya.

"So," Nutmeg replied.

"It's not often you see a bounty hunter with a partner," she said.

"I know." Nutmeg said flatly, though she did like the fact that Roya had referred to her as Axle's partner as opposed to just some kid.

"How did you two meet in the first place?" Roya asked.

Nutmeg didn't see why that mattered. It wasn't any of her business. "Why?" she asked. Roya shrugged in response. Nutmeg thought it would be alright to tell her. "He adopted me when I was three years old. I was an orphan."

"I see," she replied. "Did you know who your parents were?"

"No." Nutmeg felt her hand subconsciously drift up and grasp the chain of the locket that hung around her neck as she lied. Why was Roya being so nosey in the first place? Couldn't she just mind her own business.

"I never knew my parents either." There was a long silence after Roya said that. "Sorry," she said after a little while.

"Don't worry. It's fine," Nutmeg replied.

"Alright!" exclaimed Axle, walking in with plates of steamy 'food'. "What did I miss?"

"Nothing much," Nutmeg replied.

They all ate their dinner even if it was about midnight. The meal was just about the same as always, dry, overcooked and bland, but Roya seemed to enjoy it. The only explanation for that would be if she hadn't had a good meal in a long time because there's no way that anyone (who wasn't a massiff at least) could enjoy it otherwise.

Nutmeg was still wondering why Roya was so curious about her. Maybe she wasn't. Maybe she wasn't curious about her specifically. Maybe she was just a nosy person, but she just couldn't shake the fact that Roya was interested in her somehow.

The next morning Nutmeg slept in to a decent time. It was about eleven thirty when she finally woke up. Roya seemed to have been awake for a little while when she headed down stairs. She was currently sipping a cup of tea on the sofa in the living room while reading a book. Axle wasn't anywhere to be seen so she figured that he was still asleep.

She walked back into the living room and sat herself down on the other couch. She tried to take a peek that the book that Roya was reading and to her astonishment it wasn't just a book. It was a diary.

"Hey!" Nutmeg shouted, snatching the diary from Roya's hands furiously.

Roya looked surprised. "What?" she asked.

"This is mine!" Nutmeg growled.

"I'm sorry," Roya apologised. "Your friend told me to help myself to any books in the study, so I did. I didn't realize that we were staking claim to certain ones." she said with a hint of sarcasm.

Nutmeg glared at her. There was no way that Nutmeg had left Elis's dairy laying around in the study. It had been in her room on her desk.

Although a couple days ago she had gone down to the study with the diary intending to read it, but had never quite gotten around to it. There was a chance that she may have left it there instead of bringing it back.

Still angry, Nutmeg reluctantly apologized. Roya told her that she hadn't actually read anything yet if that made her feel better, which it did but she was still pissed off, mostly at herself.

"Anyhow," Nutmeg said trying to change the subject off of her little outburst.

"Yeah." There was a bit of awkward silence. "I'm pretty sure I've got to leave sometime today. I've got some stuff to do. Although I have to say, I don't ever think I've met a couple of bounty hunters with as good of hospitality," she joked.

Nutmeg laughed. She wasn't sure why but the thought of Roya leaving rubbed her the wrong way. It wasn't like she wanted her to stay. If she was being quite honest Roya kind of pissed her off and yet she felt compelled to make her stay.

"Well we're not your average bounty hunters." Nutmeg replied.

"I can see that." Roya stated. Nutmeg thought she looked as though she meant more than she was letting on, but she quickly dismissed it.

Soon enough Roya had gathered up her belongings, aka her coat and a small leather backpack, and was getting ready for the twenty mile walk into town. Axle offered to lend her a ride on the speeder, but she politely declined, saying that they'd done enough already.

"Thanks," Roya said as she was about to leave. "Just to be clear you didn't poison me right?" she asked.

"Dammit she caught on," Axle joked looking to Nutmeg.

Nutmeg and Roya both laughed in response.

"Thanks again," she said. "I'm not sure exactly what I would have done had you guys not been there. Get eaten alive by bugs and coy-leopards I suppose."

Coy-leopards were small nocturnal carnivorous spotted canines with a flat muzzle like a cat, two pairs of ears and a mildly aggressive attitude if you got too near a den. (Although Nutmeg still thought they were cute) They were native to Northern Diversus and roamed all over it in small packs of three of four. Axle had told Roya how to handle a coy-leopard incase she ran into them as she traveled so she should be fine.

"Bye," she said waving goodbye as she walked out the door.

Nutmeg and Axle waved back. Nutmeg had a strange feeling. She felt a great importance and she felt that importance drawing further and further away.

"Hey Axle?" she asked

"Yep kid?"

"What did you thinks of Roya?

"She seemed alright."

"I've got a weird feeling about her."

"Ah shit I knew it was a bad idea to let her spend the night!"

"No Axle not a bad feeling. She just seemed important." Nutmeg was glad that Axle trusted her but him taking her weird feelings seriously all the time got under her skin.

"Oh," he replied. Axle seemed to be pondering something. "Should we go get her?" he asked.

"I dunno," Nutmeg replied "Maybe."

"Look I think we should go find her and just ask if she wants to stay for a little while longer." "Just in case," he added.

"Alright."she replied

Nutmeg and Axle stepped through the front door and began to follow Roya's trail. She wasn't exactly very hard to find considering she was still climbing down from the peak and there was really only one primary way down.

"Hey!" Axle called.

Roya looked up from her perch on the rock at Axle who was staring down at her awkwardly. "Uh hi?" he said.

"Hi."

"Talk to her." Axle said throwing Nutmeg under the bus. Nutmeg growled in response.

"Uh, look," Nutmeg began. She wasn't quite sure how to say this "Do you-er- want to stay with us for a little while longer?" she asked hesitantly.

To Nutmeg's surprise she actually said yes! Well her exact words were "I don't see why not." but Nutmeg found it unusual that she had said that. She told Nutmeg earlier that she would be heading out, saying she had stuff to do and now all of a sudden she could stay as long as they allowed her? Nutmeg didn't like it. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to have Roya at their house after all.

Roya continued to stay for awhile longer, not doing anything that rose Nutmeg's suspicion anymore than it had already been rising, at least not that she knew about. Axle and her had become alright friends and after a month, at the end of August it was already time to head back to the icy wasteland that was Southern Diversus. Nutmeg liked Southern Diversus but she liked Northern Diversus more. The only fun thing to really do on Southern Diversus was ice skating and most of the time it was way too cold to do even that. Usually it was only possible at the very end of the Season of Heat when the high temperature during the average day was probably five degrees fahrenheit.

They packed up all their stuff and boarded the Shadow. Roya had been on the Shadow a few times and blatantly shared her distaste for the ship. It was Nutmeg's turn to fly even if it was only to the other side of the planet.

The familiar snowy landscape greeted Nutmeg as they landed and she grabbed her coat. Beyond frigid air assaulted Nutmeg's face.

Cavern bounded out of the Shadow to explore his new surroundings, as he had never come in contact with snow before and quickly got too cold for his own good and dashed back in.

Axle dragged him back out and they headed inside. Axle gave Roya the grand tour of their house and included the warnings of Southern Diversus including the deadly temperatures, ice rats and uronis.

Ice rats were small fuzzy white poisonous rodents that hunted in packs. They feasted on anything they could, which basically included the uronis and any other life form. Ironically the uronis also ate them. Their venom made you feel very cold and the warmer you were the colder you would feel and the colder you were the warmer you'd feel, so the hope was once their victims figured it out they'd subject themselves to the freezing temperatures and die so that the pack of ice rats could then feast.

Uronis were large bear like creatures that hunted alone and would attack a person if you mistakenly wandered into their ice cave. They ate up to eight Ice rats per day and had razor sharp teeth and claws. Ice rats and them were pretty much the only things that lived on Southern Diversus other than the occasional village of locals.

Nutmeg was settling down back in her room, taking in the new arrangement of posters of various things like starships that covered her walls. There were more on these walls than the ones at her summer house. She had grabbed her suitcase and began unloading, when a knock came at her bedroom door.

"Yeah?"

Roya walked in looking serious.

"What?" Nutmeg asked.

"Could I speak to you about something in private?"

"Yes."

"Alright where do I begin." she mused. "Do you know what the Force is?"


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"What!?" Nutmeg yelled falling on the floor. She stood up fast as light speed and stared. There was no possible way Roya could know about her. It wasn't possible.

Roya looked calmly back at her. "Do you know what it is?" she asked again.

Nutmeg got furious at Roya's question and calm manner. Nutmeg _obviously_ knew what it was or she wouldn't have reacted that way!

Nutmeg calmed herself down and took a deep breath. Roya probably suspected the same thing Axle did, that she was a force user. She couldn't change that. How she came to that conclusion however, she had no idea.

"Yeah. I know what it is." she answered with still a bit of passive aggression. "Why?"

"What do you know about it?" Roya asked.

"I know that it doesn't exist and that's that." Nutmeg stated brusquely.

"What makes you say that?'

"What does it matter to you?!" she spat.

Nutmeg calmed the flaming fire rising in her gut. She wasn't angry and she knew it. Her fear of what would happen should anyone assume about what she was was being converted into anger.

"Sorry," she apologized.

"It's fine."

"I don't believe in the force because it doesn't make sense." she said. "And either way It's dangerous being a force user."

"So you do know then?" Roya pressed

"I don't _know_ anything! I don't _know_ if the Force is real. I don't _know_ if I'm a force user. I don't even know how the heck you know any of this!"

"I know because I am a Jedi. My real name is Unum Ursa. You want to know why I decided to stay with you? It was because I sensed something about you. I sensed the Force with you."

"Look if you're so "in tune with the Force" why don't you go ahead and… levitate that book for me will you!"

"No," Unum said.

"Well why not?" Nutmeg chided.

"Because you need to discover the truth for yourself. I'm not going to force the information on you."

"That's stupid." Nutmeg said flatly. "If you're _so_ interested in making me believe that why not prove it now?"

"I already told you. You need to figure it out on your own."

"Prove that you're what you say you are." Nutmeg demanded.

She then reached into her shawl and pulled out a cylindrical shaped object. It was intricate and looked to be made of several different types of metal and pieces that all fit together to form one.

She then pressed what looked to be a button on the side of the object. It made a noise like lightning as a bright grass green beam shot out the end. That was when Nutmeg realized that this was a lightsaber.

Nutmeg took a couple steps back from the glowing weapon of plasma until the beam disappeared back into the barrel of the weapon with another sound. "You're really a Jedi?" she asked. Unum nodded.

"Oh by the way Ro- I mean _Unum,_ just so you know Axle's been trying to get me to believe in the Force since my eighth birthday. There's not a great chance that you'll do any better than he did." Nutmeg said dryly

"Well Axle's not a Jedi is he?" Unum shot back. "I've already spoke to him about this. Look, I'll give you some time if you want it," she said.

"Fine."

Another person trying to tell her what she already knew to be false. Nutmeg sighed. When were people going to realize that there was nothing special about her? Despite what Nutmeg wanted to be true she was just being realistic. She was normal, ordinary. She wanted to be special she really did but she just couldn't believe. Even if she tried to make herself believe she wasn't sure if she could.

She wasn't going to waste her time worrying herself about it again. She was going to be productive.

Nutmeg was still unpacking when a small book caught her eye. It was the diary. She supposed she could take a small break from the unpacking to read a bit. Nutmeg picked up the small book and sat down on her bed. She opened up to the page she had left off on and began to read:

 _I just arrived on Coruscant and wow! It's fantastic. The Jedi Temple is so much bigger than I imagined. I still can't believe any of this is really happening, but here I am! Gaiven just showed me to my quarters which is where I'm writing this now. It's weird not having to share a room. I would usually have my brother to deal with. It's so quiet without him. I'm not sure if I love it or hate it…_

Nutmeg briefly wondered to herself what it would be like to have a brother or sister. Unimportant for now, she decided

 _Either way I can't wait for whatever happens next and I have to wait all the way until tomorrow to go and see Master Yoda and I don't know if I can last that long without having a heart attack. Well I'll be back soon for my next entry._

 _Ps: My hand was shaking super badly when I wrote this and that's why my handwriting so bad._

Nutmeg flipped the page eagerly.

 _I'm back. It's the next morning now and I'm so nervous for what Master Yoda's going to say. What if I'm not accepted? Then what? I go back home? What will I say to my parents? That I wasn't good enough? They had looked so proud when they found out I could be a Jedi. How could I disappoint them like that?_

 _I guess I need to calm down don't I? There's no reason to panic yet. I guess I'll keep writing later after I talk to him. Bye for now then._

Nutmeg put down the diary and tossed it to the other side of the bed. She supposed that would be enough for now. There wasn't really anything that was grabbing her attention in the diary just yet.

She stood up and looked out her window. It wasn't snowing but anyone new to Diversus might think it was. Strong winds were picking up the top layer of powdery whiteness and blowing it all over the place.

Nutmeg turned her attention away from the weather and onto the roaring beast in her stomach growling for food. She turned away from the window and headed downstairs to the kitchen. From the fridge Nutmeg grabbed a jogan fruit, one of her favorites, that they had picked up before they had left Northern Diversus.

Once she had made it back to her room she collapsed back down on her bed and felt something jab her back. She turned over and removed the dairy from beneath her.

It was opened to a page towards the back with a small picture pasted there. The photo was faded with age and she couldn't really make it out but it resembled a woman in a dress.

She began to read the beginning of the page:

 _Today's the day! Today's the day, I Eliscana Zerek, get married. I can't believe it's finally happening! My dress is gorgeous. I don't think it could possibly look any better. Even if we won't have a whole lot of people coming I can't wait to see everyone's faces. Everyone basically being Dev and R4-58. It's hard to find a good amount of people when It's supposed to be a secret._

 _It's funny remembering how much Gaiven and I hated each other before we fell in love. Now of course it's a big laugh but at the time we legitimately wanted to kill each other. I just couldn't see past the very few bad traits he possessed. I didn't notice his playfulness and his intelligence or his warm smile or his dreamy brown eyes…_

 _Anyway, I'm getting off topic. I never thought as a Jedi it would have of come even close to working out and yet here I am about to walk out on the isle and seal my life long relationship with the man I love._

 _It's time…_

Nutmeg flipped the page intently to see what came next.

 _How could everything come spiraling down so quickly?_

 _One moment I'm passionately kissing Gaiven in heaven the next I hear a voice from behind me along with a blaster bolt rocketing past my head as I was dragged down to hell._

" _Good soldiers follow orders." That's what Dev had said to me. He tried to kill us. One of my closest friends had tried to kill us…_

 _I couldn't bring myself to hurt him so Gaiven and I ran for it. How could Dev do this to us? He was one of my closest friends. It just doesn't make sense. It doesn't make any sense…_

 _I'm still wearing my wedding dress. Gaiven's still wearing his suit. We need to get back to a Republic planet, away from any other members of whatever plot this is. It could be the remnants of the Separatists that had came after us._

 _I still can't bring myself to believe Dev had betrayed us though. Maybe I just put too much faith in him. I just can't get his voice out of my head! "Good soldiers follow orders." he had said. It didn't even sound like him. His voice went dull, lifeless all of a sudden. It was almost like he was entranced._

 _Were almost to Corelia. It was the nearest main Republic planet that we could find. I better stop writing now. I'll be back._

 _How? The clone troopers… all-of them- their killing my family, my friends, all the people I've grown up with. What's happening?_

 _Gaiven and I are locked in a small building trying to escape. This was supposed to be the happiest day of my life, the day I would spend a in heaven but now I've just been dragged down to the depths of hell. At least I'm here with my husband. For now at least._

Nutmeg frantically flipped the next page, and the next and then next and about twenty more or so after that. All of them were blank.

"Sad isn't it?"

Nutmeg sprang off her bed and spun around instantly to face the source of the voice. It was none other than a woman with blue skin, gold eyes, gold facial markings and purple-black hair. Her hair was done up in an elaborate style at the back of her head with a lace veil. Snow white fabric draped down below her waist to her ankles. Her shoulders, hands and arms were wrapped in lace, letting holes of skin show beneath the beautiful design of it. Everywhere else was covered in tightly fitted white fabric. Elis looked immaculate.

"I died in this dress," she said solemnly.

Nutmeg would question the fact that Elis was here later. For now she wanted answers.

"But why-how-?"

"Order sixty six." Elis said cutting her off. "That day the clone troopers' minds were taken control of by something called an inhibitor chip. They were forced to kill all of the Jedi."

"Why?!" Nutmeg cried.

"Because Emperor Palpatine wanted ultimate control and the Jedi were in his way."

"That's awful." Nutmeg exclaimed. She of course had heard of Palpatine and his quest to seek ultimate control before, but not of Order sixty six. It just seemed so wrong to Nutmeg. It wasn't just the Jedi she felt mortified for but the clones. She could only imagine how it must feel to have your mind taken control of and being forced to kill your friends whom you had served with for the duration of the Clone Wars.

"It could have been worse." Elis said brightening.

"How could it have been worse?" Nutmeg breathed incredulously.

"I try to think whenever something bad happens that it's not as bad as it could have possibly been. It makes things easier. For example Palpatine could have killed the clones after it was all said and done accused of treason. Couldn't he have?"

"I kinda see what you mean." Nutmeg said. She tried to think of something bad that had happened to her in her life and how it could have gone worse.

 _I lost my parents, but at least I still have Axle,_ Nutmeg thought smiling.

That moment Unum walked in again. Nutmeg turned her head towards her and when she looked back to where Elis was she was gone.

"Look," Unum said. "I'm sorry for coming off so harshly. I just have never met another force user and seeing one refuse to accept their abilities just irked me."

"It's fine." Nutmeg replied. "And way to cut back on the passive aggression." she added smirking a little.

Unum smiled. "Anyway."

"Yeah anyway."

Suddenly Unum's gaze drifted past Nutmeg, behind her. She looked over her shoulder to see Elis back in her usual clothing perched on the foot of Nutmeg's bed.

Nutmeg looked back at Unum then back at Elis and went back and forth a few times before she said something.

" Wait, you can see her too? You mean I'm not crazy!?" Nutmeg exclaimed.

Elis smiled at Nutmeg's comment. "Or you're both just crazy," she implied.

Unum was looking perplexed at Elis. "What are you?" she asked.

"I am a figment of your imagination." Elis said toying with Unum.

"What?"

"Okay fine. I'm basically a dead person."

Unum looked at her, her question obviously not been answered.

"You really need specifics? Fine. I'm a force ghost. It's basically a way that I can come back after my body dies."

"Okay…" Unum replied. She glances at Nutmeg obviously trying to gauge whether or not she was crazy or not.

Nutmeg shrugged. "Honestly I don't really know what to believe anymore." she stated.

"Well while you two sort out your priorities I'm gonna run. Goodnight everybody!"

That moment Elis vanished into thin air. Unum blinked a couple times confused. "Do have any idea…"

Nutmeg shrugged and walked downstairs. She sat down on the couch and looked at the long broken TV. She wasn't even sure why they still had it. It was so ancient no one could fix it. Although Axle wasn't the greatest at fixing anything but the Shadow, he could pretty much figure out how to work any computer, how to hack into it and how to take control of it.

Nutmeg wondered if it was still warm enough outside to go out. Even sometimes in the less severe early september blizzards it was still warm enough to go outside for more than a few minutes. She grabbed her coat, boots, scarf and hat off the hook by the door. She wrapped her blue scarf around her mouth and nose, put on her purple coat and her grey boots, blue gloves and put on her grey wool hat.

She walked out to the blank snowy landscape. Snowflakes brushed her cheeks and forehead. The winds had died down and flurries of snow had started to drift down from the clouds. The only thing that kept her from sinking into the endless waves of snow on the ground were the sheets of ice that formed over the blanket of snowflakes after every snowfall. So instead of trudging on top of stars knew how many feet of snow, she was only forcing her way through about half a foot.

Nutmeg after walking about twenty meters from the house eventually reached the giant sheet of ice that would have been a lake if it weren't frozen solid. Axle and her tried to keep the lake clear of snow for one reason and one reason only. She grabbed her ice skates from under a small ledge of ice where she kept them and put them on.

Nutmeg tentatively stepped out onto the ice on which the blades of her skates slid. She pushed off with her right foot and glided forward. She slowly started to gain speed as her skates gracefully slid across the ice.

Suddenly she was startled by the scrape of metal on ice behind her. She spun around simultaneously falling on her butt as she looked up at her visitor.

"Need a hand there kid?" asked Axle holding out his hand.

Nutmeg took his hand brusquely and he pulled her up. She brushed the snow off her pants. "Who invited you?" she said in mock disdain.

"Since when do I ever care if I have an invitation? He asked with a smirk.

Nutmeg rolled her eyes. "Race you to the other side of the lake!" she shouted taking off.

"Hey no fair!" Axle cried out. "You gotta head start!"

Snow pouring down from the sky whirled around as Nutmeg glided across the ice. Her toes and fingers were beginning to freeze up but she didn't really care. She heard Axle behind her gaining speed. She laughed as she looked back at him. He smirked back.

Axle sped up suddenly and almost passed Nutmeg before he fell forward. He hit the ice with a loud "oof" Nutmeg stopped a waited for Axle to get to stagger to his feet. He was absolutely covered in snow and didn't look too happy about it. He got up disdainfully. Nutmeg giggled happily.

"What're you laughing at?" Axle said regaining his usual snarky manor.

"You," Nutmeg replied.

"Well you won't be laughing for long!" Axle growled.

Nutmeg shrieked as Axle tackled her gently onto the ice. The snow clung to her clothes and cold had started to seep into her skin and she started to shiver.

"Wanna go back inside?" Axle suggested letting her up. Nutmeg nodded teeth chattering.

Axle and Nutmeg made their way back inside where the snow they were covered in melted to still cold water.

Unum was looking at them a bit strangely but didn't ask.

A few more weeks passed without much change other than the weather getting colder. Axle took a routine job one of the weeks and Nutmeg had got to come along. It was pretty fun. Unum had left for an unknown reason. She had said that she would be back but didn't say when.

Soon the Season of Wind along with the Season of Snow had passed as well and then even another year after that. Nothing really new had really happened in that time to the now almost nine year old Nutmeg. Axle had taken more jobs that Nutmeg was usually allowed to attend. Axle had also started to teach Nutmeg more about the Shadow and how it worked. More importantly he showed her how to fix it if anything went wrong, which it inevitably would.

It was just about mid Season of Rain when Axle announced that they would have another job that needed to be done. Unfortunately Nutmeg wasn't permitted to come on this one. It was apparently very dangerous. So instead she was stuck alone with Cavern.

It wasn't so bad. She could just settle down with a good book and read. Axle said he should be back within the next few days. So a few days it was...


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Nutmeg was curled up under a blanket on the couch a book in her lap. She sipped her earthy blend of tea as she turned the page eagerly.

This book spoke of the leader of a broken kingdom trying to hold everything together and the people in need that he was unable to help due to the attacking forces who had risen up from the ashes of a fallen empire of evil. In the midst of the war there was a girl who had no place in all of it. She was neutral and while she favored the kingdom she was unable to do anything. Nutmeg loved reading adventure books. They made her crave her own grand adventure.

She put down the book a moment to go use the bathroom. When she was done she took a moment to study her appearance in the bathroom mirror. She noticed that as she had aged her eyes had become more blue-grey, although they did still contain a good amount of green. She also noticed a thin wavy yellow line that curved around the center of her iris. Nutmeg's dirty blonde hair had gained more length and her face had also lost some of its child like roundness and gained some depth.

She walked back down stairs to pick up her tea. Nutmeg would have expected she would enjoy the next few days to herself and she was enjoying them so far but she did miss Axle.

Nutmeg began to think about Axle's mission. He had been hired to handle highly dangerous negotiations between several crime gangs, quite a few of which he was wanted by, which included the Pikes, the Red Claws, and Feral, Bellum's cousin's, pirates. Axle of course was wanted by plenty of other syndicates. Those few were just the only ones that would be present. She gulped another sip of her previously hot tea as she thought.

Mopar and Lepor would be arriving on day eight of her solitude to meet Axle for another mission that Nutmeg would be allowed to attend. Axle wouldn't arrive until later the next definitely wasn't looking forward to a day alone with Lepor and Mopar or the mission with them that followed. She had come to dislike the two of them since Axle told her what they really thought about her. Her thoughts drifted back to that day. That was the day things had become complicated.

She had found out that she was _supposedly_ a force user. She had had cold hard reality smack her in the face as she found out that if others thought the same as Axle and Umum she could be in danger. Axle had also told her not to care what anyone else thought. It was good advice in certain situations other times not. For example if Nutmeg were to say have her mind set on a stupid idea, no one could deter her from it. Other circumstances it was good advice. Say people were just trying to bring her down than it would be wise not to care what they think.

"That day felt like years ago…" Nutmeg said allowed to herself.

Cavern trotted up with his food bowl grasped in his jaws the meaning clear that he was hungry. She walked into the kitchen, took the bowl from him, filled it up and put it down on the mat where Cavern ate. After he was done he curled up on the couch next to Nutmeg and she began again to read.

The next morning Nutmeg had begun to miss Axle a bit more. She had been left alone for this long before but for some reason Nutmeg just missed Axle more than usual. She hadn't been left alone for longer than a week before. Usually if Axle was on an extensive mission she would be brought along.

Nutmeg looked out the window at the swirling snow. It was a light snowfall for the time of year. They would probably only receive a about half a foot if it continued at this rate.

She all of a sudden heard her comn beep. She picked it up off her bedside table and picked up. The fuzzy hologram of Axle sprung up.

"Hey Axle!" Nutmeg exclaimed happily.

"Sup kid?" he replied

"Not much. You?"

"Not much, although considering the circumstances that's probably a good thing."

"Yeah I guess so."

"You're not getting into too much trouble are you? No one's dead?"

"No," Nutmeg replied rolling her eyes.

"Aright good," Axle smirked. " Well I'm just checking up on you kid. I've got to get back to work. I'll see you in a few days though."

"Aright."

"See ya kid."

"Bye Axle," Nutmeg said sadly. The transmission cut out.

Nutmeg through the next day battled the crippling boredom that threatened her. She was able to conquer it later with the discovery of some paper and pencils. She drew everything and anything she could think of. After that got old however she was stuck with nothing to do again. She had also finished her book and two others after that one within the day.

The next day Nutmeg decided to study the Shadows mechanisms while listening to music. The following four days were dedicated to Nutmeg practicing with her energy bow. She had actually become quite good with it. Finally it was her seventh day alone.

It was now about nine o'clock at night. She was currently eating dinner. It was her last day alone and Mopar a Lepor would be arriving tomorrow unfortunately. Axle would arrive the next day. She missed Axle alot and was excited to see him again.

She was eating another re-hydrated meal. It wasn't bad but it wasn't great either. Either way she was looking forward to some real food.

After Nutmeg was done she headed up stairs to and curled up in her bed. She had awoken late that morning so she couldn't say she was tired but she was responsible enough to know when she should be asleep. So slept she did…

 _Bang._

 _Bang._

 _BANG_

Startled, Nutmeg's eyes flew open. Pale early morning sunlight filtered through her bedroom window which she quickly rushed to. The snowfall had increased substantially so much that she had to squint to see through it. In the air there were three huge ships and in the far distance on the ground there was the Shadow.

Nutmeg's eyes went wide. Why was Axle here? And more importantly why were there three other ships with him.

All of a sudden Nutmeg's comn beeped. She picked up immediately. A blue hologram of a disheveled looking Axle sprung up from the comn.

"Axle what's going on?!" Nutmeg cried.

"Look kid I dont have alot of time to explain but I screwed up! They put a tracker on the Shadow and followed me here. Now I can't even lead them away because the Shadow's broken. Anyway, they're here for me! You need to stay hidden Nutmeg. Do you understand me? _Stay there_!"

"Axle-!" Nutmeg was cut off by an explosion of snow. The largest ship had shot at the Shadow but missed by only about a yard. When she looked back at the comn Axle's hologram had cut out.

Nutmeg couldn't stay put! Axle needed her help and they would just take her anyway when they searched the house which they inevitably would.

She ran down the stairs, suited up in her winter gear and grabbed her energy bow and a pair of macrobinoculars. Cavern trotted up begging for attention. Nutmeg grabbed Cavern's specially made coat and put it on him. Mastiffs were known for being vicious. She needed him. She then opened the door. As soon as she walked out of the house snow pummeled her covered face.

Through the macrobinoculars she saw that the three ships were heading down getting ready to land next to the Shadow. The only reason her eyes weren't blinded by the snow and wind was because of the goggles covering her eyes. Nutmeg made a run for the Shadow. After awhile of running Nutmeg could see Axle had left the Shadow and was making a move for the opposite direction. The troops that had been sent after Axle were quickly gaining. Nutmeg ran towards them, Cavern gaining ground faster than her.

Cavern broke through the troops teeth bared and snarling. Nutmeg forced her way in as well her energy bow drawn and ready to fire. A look of horror spread across Axle's face at her appearance but Nutmeg didn't care.

The scum looked faintly amused if anything. Nutmeg even heard a few snicker. Anger and adrenaline flooded through her veins. She let one of her arrows loose she missed her mark by an inch but Cavern understood well enough that these people were not their friends. He attached himself to one of their legs quickly ripping through flesh.

Nutmeg quickly made her way to Axle's side.

"What are you doing here kid?!" he hissed to her as he kicked one of the Weequay pirates in the stomach, finishing him off with a blaster.

"I'm here because you need help."

"Well no offence but I'm not any better off with you here in danger than you in the house." he stated as he threw a Rodian off his back.

"You know they would have searched the house." Nutmeg said as she loosened another arrow from her bow.

"You're getting better with that thing." Axle exclaimed to her.

Nutmeg beamed. "Thanks!"

Suddenly Axle was thrown back away from Nutmeg. Nutmeg saw Cavern leap on top of another Pike that was getting ready to fire upon Axle.

All of a sudden fear coursed through Nutmeg. There was three of them including Cavern and who knew how many of the Pikes and Red Claws. Nutmeg out of desperation started firing more arrows.

The snow had begun to fall harder and harder so that she couldn't see anything that wasn't close to her. She looked back at Cavern to see him struggling on the ground. His paw had been shot. Axle had been cornered but he was still fighting like mad. Suddenly his blaster had been relinquished of his hands and there was a Red Claw sword at his neck.

Nutmeg felt a huge surge of anger and fear. Her hands strangely yet automatically rose dropping her bow into the snow as she felt something flow through her.

The weapons of the enemy flew away from their grip in to the air. Some of the soldiers surrounding her as well were pushed back.

The feeling of anger passed and she was left with only fear. _Did I just do that?! She thought._ Nutmeg stared at her hands in shock. Soldiers had began to advance towards her and she backed away. Nutmeg picked up her bow and aimed at one of them but one of the others pushed her into the snow knocking the bow from her hands.

She looked at Axle who had been restrained but was now fighting and fighting with a new strength that he hadn't had before.

Nutmeg tried to stand up and fight but she quickly was grabbed on to. She ripped herself away but in a moment the armored fist of a Besalisk had come into contact with her face.

A sharp pain stabbed at her upper lip and she felt her nose crunch. The scarf covering her mouth and nose was thrown away. Nutmeg's mouth filled with blood. She had landed face first into the snow. Tears welled in her eyes making her vision go blurry but she did see that the snow beneath her was red. Her nose throbbed and she felt her lip gush blood.

There was a voice that rang above the chaos. "Kid!" It was Axle! "KID!" Nutmeg tried to yell back but she choked. "NUTMEG!"

"Axle!" she forced out. She tried to force herself up. "Axle!" she wailed again in desperation but there was no response.

No. He _couldn't_ be gone. Axle _couldn't be gone!_ Nutmeg sobbed his name over and over again with no response. The only noise that was there was the whistling of the wind until she heard the ship lift off along with the other two. That could only mean one thing. They had gotten what they came for…

Nutmeg lay huddled there. She was trying to conserve the body heat she had left. She had to save her energy. The snow had created a thin blanket on top of her and she was no doubt cold but there was no way she'd be able to find her way back to the house in the blizzard. Right now she needed to rest. Shivers ran their way through her body and her teeth chattered like mad. She closed her eyes tighter and tensed up more trying to block out the harsh weather. The blood and tears had even frozen on her face.

Nutmeg couldn't bear the fact that Axle was gone. It wasn't possible. Maybe this was all some sick nightmare. She had had stunningly real nightmares before. Another tear dropped out of her closed eyes, immediately frozen my the harsh cold.

The cold had begun to burn her fingertips along with her feet hands and face awhile ago but only now did she feel it start to cause the larger limbs pain. She drew in her knees to her chest further if possible but it didn't make a difference.

Nutmeg felt strong arms around her. They were warm, hot even. Her slow mind was barely aware of them and yet they were there. All of a sudden hot air clung to her body and she made out voices.

"Crank the heat all the way up. She's not doing great."

A wonderfly burning object was placed on her chest, another on her head.

"Can you grab me some more thermo-packs" the strange voice said.

Soon enough these objects had been placed on various parts of her body. Until yet again Nutmeg slept…

An uncomfortable heat clung to her skin. She rolled over and felt warm objects roll off of her. The heat was still pressing.

"Axle," she groaned. "The heating system's broken again!"

Nutmeg opened her eyes to see unfamiliar surroundings.

"What the heck!" she cried. She sat bolt upright. Dizziness brought her back down quickly however.

None other than the human Lepor walked in. "Oh look someone decided to wake up." she teased

"What?" Nutmeg exclaimed confused. "What's going on? Where's Ax-!" Nutmeg choked.

Everything at once came flooding back. They had taken him. Axle was gone. No! It wasn't true! _Axle isn't gone! He's still here! He has to be!_ Nutmeg internally screamed. _He would never leave me!_

Lepor interrupted her thoughts. "You almost froze to death, you managed to break your nose and cut your lip open, that's what happened!" she exclaimed. "You're welcome by the way."

Nutmeg felt a rush of anger at her. _How dare she antagonize me when I'm obviously hurting!_ She stormed out of the room a shut herself into the next empty one she saw. Nutmeg curled up into a tiny ball in the corner. Sobs racked her body and she pressed her bruised face into her knees. Tears soaked onto her jeans. Nutmeg only now realized she had been stripped of her winter gear.

How could Axle be gone? What in the universe would she do without him? He had been her closest friend, her _brother_. She didn't have anyone else. She licked a tear from her lips and felt her tongue run over the bacta patch on her lip.

Axle had been there for her as long as she could remember. Nutmeg didn't have anything or anyone to fall back on. Her parents were dead, she didn't have a single living relative she knew of and she had no friends. Even Unum had left. Unum… Maybe Nutmeg could track Unum down wherever she went.

All of a sudden Nutmeg froze remembering what she had done. It was instinctive, automatic. She wouldn't have been able to stop it if she tried. Her hands shot up and she had ripped the weapons from the scum's hands with her mind. _No,_ she corrected herself. With the Force…

"Alright so this Unum Ursa character apparently works with the Republic."

"The Republic?" Nutmeg asked

"Yeah." Mopar said. "Luckily enough for you we've worked with them before so we're friendly enough."

"Ok."

"I guess we can just drop you off with someone else from the Republic and they'll take you to her"

"I guess so," Nutmeg replied dismally.

Nutmeg walked down the ramp of Mopar and Lepor's ship Cavern at her heels, his paw bandaged, to see a small woman awaiting her arrival.

"Hi there sweetheart," she said brightly. "My name's Olle."

"Hi," Nutmeg said dismally.

"Why the long face dear?" Olle asked delicately

"I'm just tired," Nutmeg lied.

"Alright then deary."

Nutmeg suffered a long trip in hyperspace with Olle's small talk to the base that Unum was stationed at. She finally made it and wished Olle goodbye politely although thankful to be rid of her.

Nutmeg walked down the long hallway of quarters with Cavern. Until she came across the room number that Olle had recommended her to. She knocked on the door and soon enough the Togruta came out to greet her.

"Nutmeg." Unum said surprised.

"I'm ready to believe."


	11. Chapter 10

**Hey there guys! Sorry this chapter's a little short and I'm sorry I haven't been posting a whole lot lately but I've been super busy. I've got school, homework, theatre and I'm trying to improve my art skills as well so I've got a lot going on. Anyway, I'm sure if you've read my previous chapters and if you read them early on then you might notice that I used the First Order in a few different things. Well I have recently realized that I go the timeline rather wrong and that basically the earlier version of the First Order were the Amaxines. So I've fixed everything that had to do with that so don't worry. Anyway I hope you enjoy this chapter and don't forget o check out my short stories for certain characters.**

Chapter 10

Nutmeg focused. She tried to chase away any thoughts that threatened her concentration. She pinpointed the object in front of her in her mind. In her mind it levitated a few inches off the ground. Through her closed eyes she snuck a quick peek in front of her… and…

Nothing.

Nutmeg threw her arms down in frustration. "Unum I swear that I was able to do it before!" she whined "Why can't I do it now?"

"Nutmeg you need to be patient with yourself." Unum replied. She took a pause. "I really think it would be helpful if you were to tell me more details about what happened when you-"

"Unum I told you I'm not going to talk about it." Nutmeg snarled, anger and grief taking a stab at her heart.

It had been almost a month since Axle had been taken. There had been no sign of him ever since that day on Diversus, not even an indication he was still alive. Nutmeg's grieving was far from over. She still cried every single night before finally drifting into an uneasy sleep. Unum had taken Nutmeg back to Diversus a couple days after she had arrived at the Republic base to get the Shadow and a few other of Nutmeg's crucial possessions then headed back. Now Unum was trying to get her to replicate, or at least replicate a small inkling of what she had done to the scum that had taken Nutmeg's best friend.

"Nutmeg can you just tell me what feelings you were experiencing whe-"

"I am not talking about what happened to Axle!" Nutmeg sobbed her eyes welling with tears. "Especially not to you, the person who thinks that I NEVER SHOULD HAVE LOVED HIM IN THE FIRST PLACE BECAUSE EMOTIONS ARE BAD FOR ME!"

"Nutmeg I-"

"GET OUT!" Nutmeg screamed.

Unum stood up off of the floor of Nutmeg's quarters and left without another word.

"Hi there Nutmeg, my name's Marissa. Now you can take as long as you want. There's no rush but just know that I'm here to help you, not make this any worse."

Nutmeg remained silent, her knees against her chest in the large armchair. She was unwilling to show anyone what she was feeling or thinking especially this stupid counselor that Unum had made her talk to. She was willing to keep her feelings locked up tighter than Cavern's grip on a piece of meat.

After a few moments of silence Marissa decided to continue. "Sweetheart it's not good for you to bottle up your feelings like this. Just let it all out. You'll feel better if you do."

Nutmeg didn't even blink, let alone even think about moving her mouth.

"Alright sweetheart, you're not ready. I understand. For now why don't you just tell me a little about yourself and we can have your parents come in. Where can I find them?" Marissa asked politely.

"Beats me." Nutmeg snorted indignantly.

A look of understanding suddenly crossed Marissa's face. "Oh honey," she started. "Did they leave you behind? Is that why-?"

"What? No." Nutmeg rolled her eyes.

"Oh," "Well where can I find your guardian if you have one?" Marissa asked.

Nutmeg felt pain flash across her face for a second and prayed that Marissa hadn't seen it. "I don't have one." Unum she hardly considered a friend let alone her guardian and Axle w- was gone. No missing, she corrected herself.

"You must be living here with someone. It's not exactly common for a child to live alone in a government facility."

"Unum Ursa."

"Oh yes I know Unum." Marissa exclaimed. "I'll talk with her later. You may go."

Nutmeg got up and walked out tensely. That was complete waste of her time. Did Unum really expect her to say anything to that wretch of a woman?

She calmed herself down. Nutmeg shouldn't be so harsh. Marissa hadn't done anything directly wrong. She was just doing her job even if she did suck at it.

Nutmeg entered her quarters with sigh. All she wanted was for things to go back to normal, but somehow she knew nothing would ever be the same as it was.

Nutmeg sat yet again on the bed her legs crossed. Her eyes were closed and her mind was focused. The image of the small glass marble that layed on the quilt in front of her was perfectly imprinted in her subconscious. In her mind it drifted upwards and in front of her… Nothing.

She flung herself backwards against her pillow in frustration. At least since she was doing this alone this time she wouldn't have to deal with Unum's counseling about how she was "doing it wrong".

Cavern trotted in with his stuffed tooka grasped in his jaws, a clear sign he was in need of some attention. Nutmeg took the toy from his and decided to try and lighten herself up with a bit of play with Cavern. It had been awhile since she had found time to play with him. She waved it in front of his face enticing him. He growled playfully at Nutmeg, crouching down as he did. Cavern then continued to prance around happily trying to capture the toy back from her.

Nutmeg laughed for the first time since Axle had left. She felt a swell of genuine happiness which brought tears to her eyes. She dropped the tooka and embraced Cavern tightly. It wasn't like he could hug her back but at least he was there. Cavern seeming to sense Nutmeg's feelings of sadness and happiness intertwined had begun to lick the tears off of her face only bringing more to her eyes. Nutmeg squeezed him tighter and she knew that he could take it along with much more given massiffs extremely muscley nature. Axle had given Cavern to her when she had turned seven. She had immediately been very fond of Cavern but only now did she realize how much she really loved him. She sighed and wiped the mixture of massiff saliva and tears off of her face and let Cavern go. Nutmeg smiled weakly to herself and grabbed the tooka toy once again.

Unum sat down at her desk chair looking out the window. She had yet again just had Nutmeg explode on her. Why couldn't she understand that Unum was worried about her? Unum did know how it might come off. She had said to Nutmeg once, something she definitely shouldn't have. She had told Nutmeg that the jedi did not believe in personal attachments or anger and grief. While it was true Unum knew that it was the wrong thing to say now at the time it had seemed appropriate. Now Nutmeg hated her.

Genuine concern for the almost nine year old drove Unum to try and make things better for her. Nutmeg needed support from someone other than her choice of pillow to cry into. Axle had been everything to her and now there was more than a good chance he was dead now. Unum knew that Nutmeg wanted nothing to do with confiding in Unum so she had tried to set her up with the base's counselor and frankly that wasn't the only reason. There was a good chance of Nutmeg becoming clinically depressed because not only was she grieving and going through a loss but as far as she was concerned she was doing it alone. She needed someone but Unum could only be there for her if she let her.

Nutmeg was one of those kids that if you upset her or if she's sad or angry or suffering unless you knew what was going on or weren't extremely perceptive you might never know because she tries to bottle everything up. She doesn't want to let anyone see she's suffering unless they already know. Except when you keep everything down and trapped it will over time or in Nutmeg's case not so much over time explode out of you violently and more powerful than ever.

Unum sighed to herself sadly. She really wished that Nutmeg would allow her to try and help. Maybe she just needed time. She wouldn't bring up Axle or whatever had happened on Diversus again. It was probably for the best.

Nutmeg stroked Cavern's head as her eye's skimmed the page of her book. It was the book that she had nearly finished before her time alone on Diversus was over but only now had she found time outside her grieving to actually continue it.

Her focus was suddenly interrupted by the sound of her comn's beep. Who in the Universe could be calling her at this hour? It was nearly midnight standard time.

She hastily closed her bookmarking the page with her finger and picked up.

"Hello?" she said expectantly.

"NUTMEG!?"

The book dropped from her hands and hit the floor with a thud.

"AXLE!?" Nutmeg screamed hysterically.

Nutmeg from the other end heard Axle's own sobs of joy.

The moment lasted only a second.

From Axle's side of the transmission there came footsteps then yells of different men. There was then the sound of a struggle.

"Axle?!" Nutmeg yelled frantically. "Nutmeg! Take care of yourself kid. I don't know when I'll see you again" Axle yelled as the sounds of struggle ensued. "I love you." There was then the sound of a blaster bolt. And the transmission cut out.

"Axle! AXLE!" Nutmeg screamed at the top of her lungs her voice cracking.

Unum suddenly entered her quarters probably hearing Nutmeg's screams. "What's going on?!" She exclaimed.

Nutmeg's chest heaved violently and her whole body shook with each sob. Her comn link was held against her chest as tightly as she could muster.

Unum had rushed over to Nutmeg and gently placed her arms over her, a new gesture on her part. Nutmeg without truly thinking burrowed into her robes.

The next few days continued on without any other sign of Axle, which most likely meant he had either been recaptured or killed.

Things had begun to continue as what was now considered normal again. The only differences now where that Nutmeg found herself thinking more about Axle and she had begun to grow less maliceful towards Unum.

Nutmeg over the next weeks had begun to think about work. After all taking on bounty hunter operations was not new to her and it wouldn't be a bad idea to try to collect some credits. She would need to stick to jobs that the Republic gave her for now because that was her only nearby source of work.

Her first job that she was able to land was to help contribute to a supply run to a Republic fleet in need of ammunition. It hadn't been a very exciting nor well paying job but she had to start off small and work her way up until she gained some credibility first.

The next job that Nutmeg was able to fulfil was as a messenger from one base to another while communications were down. That job had been even more dull than the first and with almost as little pay.

She took a few more dull jobs before she needed a break. Unum had started to try and teach her more about the Force instead of just jumping straight to trying to levitate things. All of it resulted in Nutmeg's break being one of great relief. When she went back to working she would have a supply run waiting for her when she got back but for now she could relax.

It was almost a month until her birthday. She wondered if anyone would even know she was turning nine, not that it mattered but still it would be her first birthday alone.

Nutmeg sat in the captain's seat of the Shadow gazing out at deep space. She debated whether or not she should just stay there on the Shadow alone for awhile or go anywhere specific. She had neglected to figure that out before she left.

Suddenly Nutmeg's comn beeped. She picked it up, disgruntled at her thoughts being interrupted.

"Hello?" she said

"Shadow4?" asked a heavily modulated voice. Shadow4 was the code name she had given herself for missions.

"Yes?" she replied

"There has been a change in scheduling we're going to need you by the end of today on Irus."

Well, so much for her vacation...


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11:

Nutmeg looked around for what belongings she would need for the mission. She grabbed her jacket and put it on. It was just a supply run so it most likely wasn't going to get exciting, however this was the first job she would be taking that wasn't for the Republic so maybe it wouldn't be as dull as the rest. Nutmeg grabbed her energy bow. She always brought it with her but had never needed to use it. She also shoved a bunch of credits into her bag for anything she might need them for. Last she packed a cantine of clean water and a few ration packs.

She hastily called Unum to tell her the change in scheduling and that she was coming to pick her up for backup just in case. Unum reluctantly agreed after a few minutes of persuasion.

After Nutmeg and Unum both had boarded the Shadow, Nutmeg sat down in the captain's chair. She had remembered hearing of Iris somewhere before but didn't actually know anything about it.

It turned out Irus turned out to be a barren and rocky world with breathable atmosphere, but no plants or water so life on the surface was near impossible. When she arrived at the given coordinates on the planet. She walked out of the Shadow over to a hooded figure dressed in brown and grey robes.

Nutmeg cleared her throat and began, "Shadow4 reporting."

The man nodded, "My name is Sayme Doj and I'm with the Resistance."

Nutmeg had heard of the Resistance. It was a new military group that had formed after the Amaxines had been desponded. It was created to counteract any more groups that formed for similar purposes.

"Nutmeg Juno." Nutmeg had also started to use her middle name as her last because Unum had told her once that having a last name was rather important and she obviously couldn't use Glacies.

"There are some weapons that were dropped off on the moon Radaa but supporters of the old Empire. They were supposed to be secret but we uncovered them. It'll be a huge asset to our cause when you get your hands on them."

Weapons dealing. Finally a job that wasn't just a stinking errand! "Okay so how many credits are you offering?" Nutmeg asked slipping into what Axle always used to call "negotiation mode"

"Five thousand." Five thousand? It wasn't much but it was enough.

"Let's do it."

"Great. Radaa is in the outer rim so the trip won't be too bad. Good luck."

Nutmeg walked away from Doj and back onto the Shadow. Unum was sitting in the co-pilot's seat.

"So?" she asked.

"We're in." Nutmeg stated.

The Shadow hovered above the dust ball that was Radaa. As she landed she saw what must have been where she was supposed to land. It was a space port that must have been long abandoned.

Nutmeg exited the Shadow and took a look around. On the other side of the space port there was another ship. She was expecting at the least a little civilization but was faced with none. It looked like it had been a small town at one point but was now just filled with small charred buildings and everything else reduced to ashes. In the distance there was what looked to be several rocky hills. She started walking around quite curious as to what might have happened here. Whatever it was it must have happened a long time ago

Nutmeg continued to wander until she saw a huge stretch of dust that the grass didn't even grow on. Judging the dry climate the grass probably didn't need much to survive in the first place. So why here was everything dead?

No matter Nutmeg had a job to do. There was no point in getting distracted. She looked at the coordinates that Doj had transferred to her. It was relatively close but still was a bit of a ways walk.

The coordinated led her to what was barely recognizable as an old imperial facility. It was in even worse shape than the town. The only reason it probably wasn't completely gone was that it was made of what was once strong metal.

Well she supposed that the weapons were probably inside. So she removed her energy bow from her back and made her way inside. The interior looked even worse than the exterior, so much so that Nutmeg got nervous being inside of the base. She figured that no one would risk hiding them in here incase the ceiling collapsed, so quickly she made her way out.

Outside the exit. There was more scrap metal. It looked like it might once have been a few imperial walkers. Guess whoever lived here wasn't too fond of the Empire.

Suddenly out o the corner of her eye she saw movement. Nearby another figure had stepped out of the base. Nutmeg quickly ducked behind a large peice of the scrap and peered over the top. She hadn't gotten a good look at them but what from she had seen they had brown hair and were carrying a weapon.

She allowed the person to pass until they were a few yards ahead of her. Nutmeg creeped closer using the scrap metal as cover. From what she could make out of her now. She was a girl and was carrying a force pike. As she moved away Nutmeg jumped behind another piece of scrap but she had been a little slow. Nutmeg hoped she hadn't been seen.

Judging by the fact that the girl turned on her force pike she had been seen. A powerful humming sound filled the air. It did make Nutmeg a little nervous as she knew that a force pike was a powerful weapon but at the same time now she could pinpoint exactly where she was.

Nutmeg meandered around the scrap she was hidden behind and starting firing arrows at her enemy with her energy bow. The girl quickly dodged just avoiding the violet plasma bolts. A swing with a force pike sent one of Nutmeg's arrows ricocheting back hitting a part of the old walker causing it to start to smoke.

So Nutmeg couldn't be as easily tracked she maneuvered around various metal pieces trying to keep herself hidden as she fired. Her opponent had also started to shield herself behind the walker scrap.

Suddenly Nutmeg spotted her uncomfortably close. Nutmeg being as impulsive as she could have possible been at that moment decided to charge for them. Nutmeg climbed swiftly over the walker and jumped down in front of her. She didn't land as gracefully as intended but she recovered quickly from the uneven landing, her energy bow poised like a snake.

Nutmeg hadn't gotten a great look at her opponent before but now she looked slightly familiar. Nutmeg focused.

"Get out of here! These are my weapons." she snarled at her.

"No they're not!" The girl yelled. "I was sent by the resistance to get them." she claimed.

"Ha! You're lying," Nutmeg retorted.

"No I'm not," she replied

"Yes you are," Nutmeg said indignantly."

"Prove it."

"I was sent by the Resistance." Nutmeg pulled back further on the handle of her energy bow, as threat that she was willing to fire. "Now why were you following me?" she asked. Nutmeg had suspected that she had followed her here to stop her from completing her mission, but she was starting to doubt that a bit.

"I wasn't following you! You were following me." the girl exclaimed.

Suddenly Nutmeg realised where she had seen this person before. She was the girl she had met on Onderon almost two years prior.

"Hang on you look familiar-" the girl said trailing off. "Nutmeg?!"

"Robin!?" Robin turn off her Force Pike.

"What the heck are you doing here?" she asked in shock.

"I was about to ask you the same question!" Nutmeg replied.

"I told you, I was looking for weapons for the Resistance." she said

"Well you can't be, because that's what I'm doing." Nutmeg looked at Robin in confusion.

"Could the Resistance have sent us both?" Robin asked.

"Maybe. Talk about paranoia," said Nutmeg sarcastically.

"Yeah," said Robin.

"Well…" said Nutmeg a little awkwardly.

"Well," repeated Robin.

"So, what now? Who gets the weapons? I mean, other than the Resistance," said Nutmeg

"I guess we could split the profits," suggested Robin, "Though," she paused to figure out the math, "2,500 credits is a little less than I hoped."

"Actually, we'd splitting it three ways," Nutmeg grumbled.

"Right," Robin said. "How is Axle, by the way?"

"Anyway, it's good to see you again!" exclaimed Nutmeg knowing that Robin probably saw the pain that had flashed across her gaze.

"Yeah, you too," Robin said.

"Also, wouldn't we be splitting the credits four ways?" asked Nutmeg, thinking about Leggs. Robin's hand suddenly shot to a dagger hanging from her belt faster than light.

"What are you doing!" cried Nutmeg getting nervous.

"Oh, it's not that," she said. Robin pulled out Leggs's dagger in a non-aggressive way and took a deep breath, "Leggs died two years ago. I keep this with me. It keeps him close." she said sadly.

"I'm sorry," said Nutmeg as she put a sympathetic hand on Robin's shoulder. She knew exactly how Robin felt except that Nutmeg didn't have anything to keep Axe close.

"It's okay," Robin said. She took a deep breath and looked to have calmed down.

"Do you have a ship?" Nutmeg asked

"Yeah, I still have the _Lapis_. What about you?" Robin answered.

"Of course! No way I'm giving up the _Shadow_!" Nutmeg replied.

Robin laughed, "I take it the _Shadow_ 's a good ship?"

Nutmeg hesitated. "Yes -No-It's complicated…"

"I see that."

"It's just, it's an amazing ship! It flies so smoothly and quietly when it works. WHICH IT NEVER DOES! It's always breaking down at the worst times, and it takes forever just to get it off the ground!" Nutmeg yelled going off on a tangent.

Robin laughed at Nutmeg's love-hate relationship with her ship.

"So…" Robin smiled to herself. "First one to find the weapons wins!"

"Wins what?" said Nutmeg intrigued.

"Nothing. It's just fun!" Robin exclaimed

"Well, I like fun! You're on!" she challenged.

With that they both took to searching the compound for the weapons. Nutmeg briskly turned the corners off the halls, still nervous that the ceilings would collapse on top of her. She suddenly saw out of the corner of her eye a door hidden deep in a pile of clutter. She pressed the button that caused the door open with a metal screech. She made her way down a metal flight of stairs. It was a few minutes but she soon came across two large crates,

"I found them!" she called back to Robin.

"Where are you?" Robin called back.

"In the basement!"

"Okay, I'm coming!" Robin called.

Nutmeg began to nimbly climb back over the rubble to find Robin.

"Where was there a basement!?" asked Robin once Nutmeg had found her.

"I'll show you, loser!" Nutmeg said being a little too smug for her own good.

"Will you be quiet."

"No." Nutmeg said grinning. Robin groaned, which made Nutmeg snicker in response.

Nutmeg led Robin back through the clutter and down the metal stairs into the dimly lit room.

"This must have been a bunker of something," Robin said.

"Maybe." Nutmeg replied.

"So, where are the weapons that I'm going to shoot you with?" asked Robin jokingly.

Nutmeg laughed at Robin's violent comment "Right this way. Although, maybe I should carry them." she suggested.

"What are you talking about?" joked Robin sarcastically.

"Come on," said Nutmeg gesturing with her hand to follow her. She led her to a closet whose door was falling off of its hinges. "You know, if this was a bunker, then it didn't do a very good job of stopping whoever attacked it," Nutmeg inquired.

"It's probably just time," said Robin.

"If you say so," said Nutmeg, "They're in there."

"I don't see them. Got a light?" Robin asked.

"Nope."

"You could use your bow thingy. That gives off light," suggested Robin.

"Energy bow," corrected Nutmeg.

"Yeah, that."

"Alright." Nutmeg reached behind her and pulled out her energy bow and pulled back on the handle. A violet light illuminated the space as a beam of plasma formed in between the handle and the bow, although this time Nutmeg didn't need the third beam, the arrow.

"That worked," Robin said.

"I'd say so," agreed Nutmeg, "Here, why don't you get the door."

"Alright." Robin walked up to the closet and grabbed onto the door. She tried to swing it open but the pull was too much for it and the heavy metal slab fell down onto the floor with a loud bang making both the girls jump back in surprise and to avoid being crushed under its weight.

"I said to open it! Not send it crashing down!" yelled Nutmeg who had honestly been scared quite badly.

"Sorry!" Robin said defensively

Nutmeg sighed, "Just grab the weapons."

"Why don't you do it?" Robin asked

"Eh-hem!" said Nutmeg claring her throat and gesturing with her upper body to her energy bow which was acting as a flashlight.

"Right. But once we don't need the light anymore your taking half of them," Robin said.

"Fine." Nutmeg agreed

Robin bent down and grabbed the crate cast in the energy bow's purple light. Or, at least tried to. It looked like she was having a bit of a difficult time.

"Nutmeg, we don't need the light anymore. Help me!" she said through a strained voice.

"Here, let me do it," Nutmeg said as she handed Robin her bow.

"Okay. How do I work this thing?"

"Just pulled back on the handle."

"Alright." Robin did as Nutmeg described. She screeched in surprise as the weapon ignited and almost dropped it.

"Careful!" cried Nutmeg.

"Sorry!"

Nutmeg sighed again. Turning her attention to the crate she wrapped her arms around it and lifted it from the ground her arms shaking as she did.

"How did you do that?" asked Robin as she stared in amazement.

"You're just weak," Nutmeg managed snarkily.

Robin glared. Nutmeg grinned.

Nutmeg made it slowly up the stairs, with Robin trapped impatiently behind her. By the time Nutmeg thumped the crate down on the ground once they made it up there were red purple marks on her arms from the pressure of the crate. She sat down on top of it in relief.

"You have no idea how disconcerting it is to have a weapon pointed at your back," Nutmeg joked.

"Haha!" Robin laughed innocently.

Nutmeg sighed in response. "By the way, can I have it back now before you kill us both?"

"Oh, yeah sure. Uh… how do I turn this thing off?" Robin asked.

"Here, give it to me."

"Alright." Robin did as she was told and awkwardly handed Nutmeg her weapon.

"Okay, can I get some help with this now?" asked Nutmeg once her energy bow was back on her back.

"No problem," said Robin. She and Nutmeg lifted up the box and started weaving their way to the closest exit. It was lighter with Robin helping, but it was still way too long of a trip back to the space port.

By the time they reached the deserted place the sun was beginning to set behind the stony ridge.

"How did I not see your ship?" asked Robin.

"I think I arrived after you." said Nutmeg.

"Well it's about time, Nutmeg!" called Unum's voice.

"Sorry I'm late, Unum. I ran into an old friend," replied Nutmeg. Did Robin consider Nutmeg a friend? Nutmeg didn't really have any friends. She had Unum and they were friends and Axle had definitely been Nutmeg's friend but that was really it.

"Really?" Unum as stepped outside and onto the top of the _Shadow_ 's extended ramp. "Hello," she said when she saw Robin, "My name's Unum Ursa."

"Robin Starstorm. Nice to meet you." Robin replied

"My pleasure," said Unum.

"Alright, let's get these things on the _Shadow_ ," said Nutmeg.

"You mean the _Lapis_." Robin interjected.

"No way!" Nutmeg replied indignantly "I won the game, I take them," she said.

"What! No! That's not how it works," Robin exclaimed

"Well it is now." Nutmeg replied a smirk on her face.

Robin groaned and let go of the crate, almost sending Nutmeg to the ground in the process. Nutmeg glared at her.

"See you guys when we get there!" Robin called.

"Where is there, exactly?" asked Nutmeg in a strained voice as Robin headed up the ramp to the _Lapis_.

"No idea. Hopefully we find out soon," Robin called back.

"Yeah," said Nutmeg.

Robin poked her head out into the cooling air and yelled, "Hey, Nutmeg!"

"Yeah?" she replied

"What's your comm frequency?" she called

"It's 6-8-49."

"Got it!" Robin called back.

"What's yours?"

"9-7-06."

"Got it!"

Nutmeg clambered clubsily into the Shadow and dropped the heavy crate down rubbing her arms. Once in the cockpit she sent a transmission to Doj saying they got the weapons.

" _D'Qar. 51°N, 1°W_ ," was the reply.

" _On my way. I also met up with the other person you sent and neglected to tell me about_." she typed. Nah, she wouldn't send that. Too passive aggressive.

Nutmeg brought the ship up into the air. Suddenly the Shadow made a jerking motion and sank back down.

"Stupid ship!" she exclaimed kicking the wall.

"Oh great what's wrong with it now?" Unum asked.

"What isn't wrong with it!?"

"Nutmeg you know what I mean. What's wrong with it _now_?" she asked

Nutmeg ran a quick diagnostic through the computer.

"The main thrusters short circuited." she growled.

Suddenly her comn beeped. "Hello?" said Nutmeg.

"Hi, it's Robin. Your voice sounds so weird over the comm!" said a scratchy voice.

"Whoa, yours does too!" replied Nutmeg.

"I know, my voice is really weird over the comm."

"It's not that weird!"

"I guess. Anyway! I'm in the atmosphere," Robin said.

"I'm not." Nutmeg growled to herself. "I'm on the _ground_ thanks to my STUPID SHIP!" Nutmeg yelled kicking the wall again. "Ow!" she cried as her foot started to throb, followed by Unum's laughter– and then Robin's.

"What did you do?" she said through her laughter.

"I kicked my stupid ship, and it's not funny!" Nutmeg said.

"It was pretty funny," said Unum.

"No offense, I agree with Unum," said Robin, smirking.

"You guys are jerks." Nutmeg scowled.

"Well, I guess I'll have to wait for you guys," Robin said.

"Guess so," replied Nutmeg.

Nutmeg managed to get the ship repaired and in the atmosphere in an okay amount of time.

"Wow that was fast." Robin said once she had contacted her. "You're good."

"Well I'm only good because my darn ship can't stay in one piece for two seconds!" Nutmeg replied.

They then engaged their hyperdrives and the stars stretched out into hyperspace. Raada to D'Qar would be a rather long trip so Nutmeg settled herself down in the pilots seat glad to have a rest. She grabbed on of the ration pack she had brung along and began to eat.

The Shadow hovered in place above the luch blue and green surface of D'Qar. It was swirled over by spiraled and wisped clouds. She looked at the scanners to see if the Lapis had arrived yet. Not yet. Nutmeg wasn't surprised though the Shadow was amazing.

After awhile Robin's ship finally appeared. Nutmeg grabbed her comn and connected to Robin's frequency.

"You finally decided to show up!" said Nutmeg once Robin had picked up.

"You got here before me?" Robin said surprised.

"Yup," Nutmeg sighed triumphantly, "I love my ship."

"Hey, what do say we grab some food when we're done with this mission?" Robin said.

"Sure! I could go for something other than ration packs!" Nutmeg replied eagarly.

"Alright. See you down there," replied Robin.

"See you down there."

Robin then cut off the transmission.

Nutmeg turned her attention back the controls. She then entered the coordinates of where they were supposed to meet into the ship's scanners. Nutmeg then smoothly landed the ship on the planet's surface, where she found a complex of bustling people in various uniforms or flight suits heading into the bunkers or hangers that surrounded them. All of it was cast in the early morning light, and in the distance the horizon was shining a silver which would any minute bring morning.

She looked up to see the Lapis landing opposite her. She walked down the extended ramp with Unum to meet Robin at the bottom. A woman wearing a gray uniform led her, Unum, and Robin. Nutmeg also now-thank god- had the crate on a platform with anti-gravs on it, so her arms weren't crushed.

Just outside one of the bunkers Sayme Doj was standing. He was no longer wearing his cloak, he now wore a similar gray uniform as the one the woman was wearing. Nutmeg now saw his face with a light gray stubble that grew from his light skinned head and could make out his light blue eyes. He seemed much more open and confident here than he had on Irus or over transmission.

"Glad to see the mission went well. To both of you," he said.

"Why did you send two parties?" asked Nutmeg.

"Well, if one of you was loyal to the enemy then when you met on Raada the other would've taken care of you. Plus, if you ran into any trouble other than each other then, though not by much, three would've been a better match than two or one." he explained.

"Then why didn't you just send a whole pack of us?" Robin asked.

"Because that would've been throwing away money that we still need," explained Doj.

"Then why not send your own people?" asked Nutmeg.

"Going under bounty hunters," Doj gestured to Nutmeg, "or smugglers," he gestured to Robin, "is just safer."

"So, do want your blasters now?" asked Robin.

"Of course. The Resistance is indebted to you three," said Doj. He motioned to two officers who handed Robin 5,000 credits that were enclosed in a case and the same to Nutmeg.

"We prepared 10,000 just in case," said Doj.

"Thank you," said Unum. The three of them turned back around and begun to head to their ships before Robin stopped and turned back to Nutmeg and Unum.

"Where do you guys want to eat?" she called.

"I don't know," Nutmeg called back, "We basically live on the _Shadow_. How about your place," she paused. "Unless you don't have one."

"I have one. It's on Corellia. I'll send you the coordinates," Robin told them.

"Sounds good!" said Unum.

"See you there!" said Nutmeg.

"See you there," Robin echoed.

Nutmeg turned back to the Shadow and walked into the cockpit. She sat down back in the pilot's chair. It was yet another long trip to Corellia. So, after she told the nava-computer where to go she headed into the her bedroom and tried to occupy herself

The usual beeping noise that signaled it was time to make the jump back out of hyperspace filled the Shadow. It was about time.

Nutmeg took the ship down and docked it outside of the apartment. As she extended the ramp. She saw that even with the Shadow's better time Robin had made it here before her due to Nutmeg making a wrong turn as she hdd gone to the wrong coordinates by mistake.

She saw Robin energetically wave to her. She looked like she had just woken up.

Nutmeg and Unum then walked in.

"Hello! Wow, this is a lot of yellow! I take it Leggs liked yellow?" Nutmeg said as bright yellow everything burned her eyes.

"No, his colors were green and silver. He said the apartment came like this and he wasn't allowed to change the decor." Robin explained

"Oh. I guess that makes sense," said Nutmeg. She made her way over to the couch and jumped onto it. She heard the springs protest under her vigor.

"So, what's for dinner?" asked Unum.

"You mean a very early breakfast," Robin corrected, pointing to the dark blue night outside.

"Would you look at that," said Unum.

"Uhhh, it's too early!" moaned Nutmeg as she looked at the chronometer that read 04:34.

"No kidding," Robin said, "Didn't you say something about breakfast?" she added to Unum.

"Well, no, I said something about dinner, but yes I'm hungry." Unum replied.

"It's food. I'm hungry. It makes no difference," groaned Robin. She opened the fridge and shuffled through its contents then opened the freezer.

"How do pancakes sound?" she asked as she pulled then out.

"Ooo!" cried Nutmeg really getting tired of ration packs.

"Sounds good" said Unum.

"Great," said Robin. She opened the toaster oven and tossed three in. She then walked over to the couch and sat down next to Nutmeg making the springs scream again.

"Hey, Robin," said Unum who seemed to be lost very deep in thought.

"Yeah?"

"Do you have a place where I can be alone for a little bit?" she asked. Nutmeg was slightly confused but then suddenly understood.

"Yeah, sure. The door to the right," Robin gestured to the door to the bedroom, "If you need to sit down, sit on the bed to the left. Don't touch the bed to the right."

"Gotcha," said Unum. She had a look of understanding and sympathy on her face as she closed the door behind her.

"So," said Nutmeg.

"Buttons," said Robin in response.

"What?" asked Nutmeg confused.

"It's something my uncle would always say. When someone said 'so' he'd say 'buttons'. Get it? Sew buttons?" explained Robin.

"Yeah I get it. I'm going to have to start using that," Nutmeg said, "But, seriously, what do you want to do?"

"Uhhhh…," Robin paused for a moment before saying, "twenty questions? Have you played that…" Robin's voice trailed off as she must have smelled the pancakes from the kitchen.

"Shoot!" Robin bounded over to the kitchen and shut off the toaster. Nutmeg peered over Robin's shoulder to see the pancakes were a dark brown color with blackened edges. She couldn't help but laugh a little at Robin's poor cooking skills.

"Shut up! I'm still a little tired!" retorted Robin.

"If you say so!" said Nutmeg, a pleased grin on her face. Robin sighed and began to dish up the pancakes.

"Nutmeg!" came Unum's voice from the bedroom.

"Yeah?" Nutmeg called back.

"I need to speak to you," she called, "Alone."

"Okay," said Nutmeg, clearly aware of what was going on.

"What?" asked Robin.

"It's probably nothing. I mean…" Nutmeg tried to search for the right words, "It's sort of, I guess you could say personal."

"Alright. I understand," said Robin.

"Thank you," said Nutmeg as she quickly paced into the bedroom.

Nutmeg walked into the bedroom where Unum was. "Yeah," she asked quietly.

"Look I don't know…" she said. "I sense the force is with her but I'm not sure. It could be nothing.

"What, mean you don't know!?" Nutmeg's cried. It was quickly followed by a

"Shhh!" from Unum.

"Don't you think she has the right to know what we're talking about?" Nutmeg demanded quietly.

"She doesn't get to know _anything_ until we're sure."

"We are sure! Or at least I am." Nutmeg said.

She then burst out of the bedroom "You do know too, don't you?" Nutmeg demanded of Robin.

"What are you talking about?" Robin asked, looking panicked.

Nutmeg put her hands firmly on Robin's shoulders and look her square in the eye before she said, "You are a Force user!"

"NO!" Robin sat up, pushing Nutmeg off.

"Robin, don't worry. I won't do anything! Remember when we first met and I said I wasn't allowed to tell you my last name?" Nutmeg pressed

Robin didn't say anything in response. She was looked furious. "It was because my last name is Glacies, which was also the last name of my mother, Clove Glacies, and she was a Jedi! I'm a Force user, too. So is Unum, and she's going to teach me!"

Robin looked both extremely angry and horribly sad at the same exact time. "NO! THE FORCE IS STUPID! IT SHOULDN'T EVEN EXIST! I HATE IT! I HATE IT! I HATE IT! DON'T EVER BRING IT UP AGAIN!" Robin screamed. She stormed off into her room leaving Nutmeg in bewilderment.

 **Well this 11 page chapter sure makes up for my shorter last chapter. But wow I wrote this chapter fast, although a decent portion of it was prewritten dialogue written by CloneWarsNerd, so thank you CloneWarsNerd for that. Anyway, Chapter 12 is coming soon!**


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